Kidnapped
by sign144
Summary: After Edward saves Bella from the van he is worried about how his family will react. When he hears that some are plotting against her he reacts in the only way that makes sense. He kidnaps her. More details inside. All-Canon pairing.
1. Introduction

**Name: **_KIDNAPPED_

**Category: **Drama /Romance/Humor

**Rating: **T- 13+ Unverified

**Summary: **After Edward saves Bella from the van he is worried about how his family will react. When he hears that some are plotting against her he reacts in the only way that makes sense. He kidnaps her. As they travel across the country to keep her safe feelings change and surprises emerge. When all is said and done will Edward have the strength to let her go or will he make the hardest decision of his life and decide to keep her forever?

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Welcome, Welcome. For those that are returning

I thank you for taking interest in my newest story and for those that are just joining us thank you for giving me a shot. I hope that you all like this one. It came to me from a line in Stephenie Meyer's Midnight Sun and it's something that I have been thinking about for awhile but I just never could really see the whole story and then one day it just came to me and I knew how it needed to go. This story picks up after the van accident in the parking lot.

So sit back and enjoy and as always I can't wait to read your reviews :). Talk soon.

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For the whole story I just want and need everyone to know that Stephenie Meyer owns all the characters, names, and others I'm sure own the places that are mentioned in here. I'm just having fun and I hope that you do to.


	2. Chapter 1: The Plan

**CHAPTER ONE: THE PLAN**

_Edward POV_

I knew I had messed up. The guilt of knowing that I had put my family's lives in danger was nothing compared to how I had felt in the moment that I saw Tyler's van headed straight for Bella. The not knowing if I could reach her in time had been painful and yet when I had thought that I might have hurt her myself that was when I had really tasted death. What was going on with me?

I stood outside Mrs. Goff's room trying to get a hold of myself. After everything that had happened earlier I couldn't draw more attention to myself or my family so I was waiting for Emmett. I needed to know where everyone stood with regard to what I had done. At least that way I could get my story straight before we headed home.

_Boy are you in trouble_, I heard Emmett before I saw him. _Rose is on a war path and your prize car is in the middle of the road._

I could see my new Vanquish in pieces and burning in our driveway through his mind as he walked up next to me.

_What were you thinking?_ He was smiling but I could see the tight pull of his lips. It was just a show for all the humans walking by. He was just as mad, well maybe not quite as mad, as Rosalie. _Do you have any idea what could have happened if anyone saw you? I mean really saw you?_

I nodded my head. I knew that it had been a stupid mistake but I could not just let her die. Not her. I couldn't explain it. There was just something about this girl that made me want to protect her even as I was plotting how best to kill her.

_Look I understand that there is something different about her but Edward you have to get a grip;_ Emmett rested his hand on my shoulder_. Maybe now is the best time to….._

I knocked his hand off and almost had him by the throat before I remembered where we were. I let my hand drop as I noticed the eyes of the two boys walking past us.

_JEEZ EDWARD_, His yelling filled my mind. _You have to calm down. I didn't say kill her but there are other ways to stop her from talking._

It was laid out in his mind. For some reason Emmett thought it might be a good idea to bring her into the family. To take away her life on a different level; to make her a monster; to steal her soul. I knew he was trying to help but I couldn't stop the growl that started low in my chest. I knew none of the other students would hear it as the bell rang out at the same time but I needed to let him know that wasn't an option either.

_Just think about it_, He continued not taking my annoyance into consideration. _For some reason you can't stay away from this girl. Maybe that means something_, He shrugged. _If she were one of us then you wouldn't have to resist her all the time and you could get to know her. Maybe even find she's your mate? Maybe that's why you can't leave her alone?_

"No Emmett" I spoke for the first time. I wouldn't let Bella pay for my mistake and curiosity by destroying her soul. "Just leave it alone." I headed toward the door knowing that we only had seconds before we would be late. Whatever was going to happen I had the information that I needed for now and if I had to move my car before Rose could touch it then so be it.

_Fine_, Emmett followed me. _Oh you might want to look out for Jasper. _ His comments stopped me with my hand resting on the door. _He's not as angry as Rose but he is more resolved about the outcome so to speak._

The doorknob buckled under my grip and I rushed past Emmett in my need to find him.

_Edward what are you doing?_ Emmett was in front of me before I had made it two steps. His hands were restraining me and it was only because I was so focused on Jasper that I hadn't heard his thoughts.

How could he think that I would stand by and let him hurt an innocent because of what I had done? I knew Jasper came from a different background then the rest of us but still to hunt someone that did nothing but be at the wrong place at the wrong time. That was too much even for him.

_Look you know that neither Jasper nor Rosalie would do anything until we have all talked_; Emmett was trying to calm me down. _Wait until we get home with Carlisle and Esme and see what they say. They won't go against them._

"And what if they agree with you?" I threw back at him.

_Maybe Esme would to save her family but Carlisle wouldn't and you know it._ Emmett had a point. Carlisle would never sanction the taking of an innocent life or the changing of someone that had another option.

I relaxed slightly and Emmett's hands fell away. It was a good thing that classes had already started because I wasn't sure that we could have explained our behavior in the hall. I pinched the bridge of my nose. What was going on with me today? That was the second time that I had almost exposed us.

"I'm sorry Em" I knew that it wasn't enough but It was all I could think to say.

_Hey we all have our moment's right?_ Emmett joked. _You've put up with ours so it's only fair we put up with yours. _ He shrugged. _You can't always be perfect Edward. It's not who we are._

For all his jokes and crazy antics Emmett was a good brother. "Thanks Em"

_Come on_, he clasped me on the back. _Let's get to class before you make more of a spectacle of yourself than you already have._

I smiled back. "You go ahead. I need a few more minutes to pull myself together."

_You sure_

I nodded leaning against the lockers closing my eyes and letting my mind wonder.

_Don't do anything crazy okay?_ Emmett warned as he headed back to class.

I smiled despite my mood as I heard the door open and close behind him. I listened as he gave Mrs. Goff an excuse about my not feeling well after the accident and took his seat reassuring her that he would see that I got the information missed in today's class. I could see her smile as she nodded understandingly back and moved on with the class. I knew that I should go inside but the last thing I wanted was to sit through an hour of conjugating verbs for a language that I could probably teach.

This was worse than I had thought it might be. I knew that they would be angry and with good reason but to think about harming Bella; to plot to kill her? That was just wrong. I had to laugh at the irony of that statement seeing as not two weeks ago I was the one plotting and now I was trying to come up with ways that I could protect her.

I knew Emmett was right. Rosalie wouldn't go against Carlisle but I couldn't be as sure about Jasper. Sure he was family but it always seemed like he was more on the fringe of our life than directly in it. He was here for Alice and the contentment that he found in not having to take a life, but he wasn't dedicated to what we believed in as strongly as the rest of us. Sure we had all made our mistakes and been overcome with bloodlust but Jasper had lived in a constant state of that feeling for so many years. What if he couldn't forget his past? I wouldn't let Bella pay that price.

I made my way to Jasper's class listening in to his history teacher. I wondered how Mr. Wagner would take it if he knew that one of his students could correctly tell him everything that happened during the Civil War. In just the few minutes that I had been listening I had heard him mess up at least five different things. I knew Jasper would be fuming if his mind wasn't so set on something else and that something else had me fuming.

_I wouldn't want to drink her because the eyes would be a dead giveaway. Alice would know that I had cheated and that there was human blood on my hands. Not that I hadn't lived through that and she had forgiven me before. Maybe she would again. But that would be too risky. Too much has already happened to that girl for anything else not to look suspicious and both Alice and Carlisle wouldn't be happy if I took a life whether I drank or not. Still if the Volturi get wind of this they could come here. Alice could be taken from me. We all could be destroyed. Better to handle things ourselves. That way if they do hear they won't be able to say anything about it. They will stay away and Alice will be safe._

I listened a little more as he planned how best to get rid of Bella without it pointing back to us. It took everything in me not to run into that classroom full of children and rip his head off. There was no way that I was going to stand aside and let him do any of the things he was thinking. I would fight him off if I had to.

So it had come to this. Was I really prepared to fight against my family for one insignificant human girl? Who was she that I would take her side over those that I had shared with and been with and walked this earth with for more than half a century? Could I really take on all of them and hope to win if I tried?

I knew Carlisle wouldn't fight against me but there was no guarantee that he would fight with me either. Emmett had been right about Esme. As loving as she was she would vote for whatever kept the family, her family, together. Alice would probably side with whoever she saw as the winner and Emmett wouldn't dare go against Rosalie. That left just me.

Maybe if I left. Took myself out of the equation then they would let her be. If I wasn't here to provoke rumors as to what happened then most likely chatter would turn to something else. Like who broke up with whom and what the latest trend was. Humans weren't all that creative and they lost interest quickly. There would probably be talk for a few days but once everyone realized that there would be nothing else to add to the flame it would die down.

But as I stayed there listening to Jasper make more definite plans against Bella I knew that I couldn't leave. Not until I knew that she would be safe from my family if no one else. I couldn't walk away until I knew that she wouldn't become a causality to my stupidity.

Maybe the best person to leave would be Bella. But how could I convince her of that? And even if I could where would she go? She had mentioned that her mother was traveling with her new husband. Had they settled somewhere or could I just send her back to Arizona? If she were back home then maybe her mother would come home and she would be safe from my family and from me.

But how would I go about getting her there? I could easily afford a one way ticket for her but would she go by herself? There was no way that I could drive her there. Being locked up with her in my Volvo for that long would definitely be dangerous to her health.

What if I just gave her the money and let her take my Vanquish? I didn't like the idea of anyone else driving it but at least that way she could make it home safely and the car wouldn't be here for Rosalie to destroy. Then I could get Alice or maybe Emmett to drive me down to pick it up after everyone had calmed down and she was safe.

That was probably the best plan. Get her out of this town before Jasper or Rosalie could get anywhere near her and then she could live out her life in peace without any type of vampire threat surrounding her.

I took off walking slightly faster than normal toward the parking lot. I would leave the Volvo here so that the others could make it home and trust that Emmett and Alice won't let anyone destroy it. I only had so long to get home, find enough money, get the car and get to Bella before school was out and my family realized what I had done.

That stopped me in the parking lot. Alice would see what I was doing. If she saw that it would be better for Bella to forfeit her life then what was to stop her from telling Rosalie and Jasper where she was? Bella would be out there defenseless against them. Sure I could read Alice's thoughts and see her visions but she was also the best in the family besides Carlisle at hiding her mind from me. I couldn't rely on hearing it in her mind before it would be too late.

I headed to the forest surrounding the school and took off running toward the house. It would only take me minutes to get home and then what? Go with the same plan and hope that things work out right? No that had too many flaws to it.

I would have to go with her. It was as simple as that. Yes there was the danger that it would be too much of a temptation but if I kept the windows down and drove faster than normal I could make it. I would have to stop and hunt more than I would need to get gas but if I could get her there safely then I would be free. Not to mention that I would know that I had survived and more importantly so had Bella because I didn't even what to think about what it might do to me if she were to lose her life to my hands.

I reached the road leading up to the house and could hear both Carlisle and Esme inside. I wanted to go in and pack a few clothes for the journey but I couldn't face them plotting as I was to leave yet again. I knew I wouldn't be gone as long as last time but I also didn't want them to be able to give anyone a heads up. So I would have to go in what I was wearing now and trying and stop somewhere to find extra clothes.

I quietly let myself into the garage and went for the emergency cash that we kept stashed away. I pulled out enough to last through the trip and some extra just in case it was needed. I packed up a sleeping bag, a tent, and a few blankets for Bella. If I was going to have to drive with the window down then I wanted her to be as warm as possible. At the last minute I grabbed the first aid kit to be on the safe side.

I slid into the Vanquish and put the car in neutral hoping that Carlisle and Esme wouldn't hear anything. It would have been faster just to push it but there was the chance that they would see me pass the window. I let the car slid out of the garage and down the long lane that wound its way to our house. Once I was far enough away I turned the ignition thankful that Rose had just tuned it up. There was barely a sound coming from the engine. I shifted into gear and headed back to Forks.

Slowing down when I reached Bella's street I listened for anyone that might see me and be able to report this back to Chief Swan. That would be a great conversation. _Hey Chief I'd like to report a kidnapping. Who was kidnapped? Your daughter._ What was I thinking? I stopped a little down from her house.

This had to be the stupidest, most insane thing I had ever done. There was no way that I was going to get away with this. Bella was going to get hurt and my family was never going to forgive me. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe if I just talked to Rose and Jasper; make them see that Bella wasn't going to expose us, then they would back off and everything would be fine.

_Hey Bells_, I heard Chief Swan talking to his daughter.

_Yeah Dad_, she was laying down looking so fragile. One wrong touch and it would be the end.

_I have to head back to the station_, he looked so torn, _unless you still need me here?_

_No Dad, I'm fine_. She encouraged_. Go I'll just lay on the couch and get some rest. Catch up on some homework._

_Maybe you could make a thank you card for Edward Cullen_, he was suggesting. _He did save your life._

_Maybe_, I could see that she was still mad at me from the hospital. But what was I suppose to say. _Bella I got to you so fast because I'm a vampire and if the van had hit you and you started bleeding then I wouldn't have been able to control myself._ That would have gone over really well.

I saw their front door open and Chief Swan pause_. I love ya Bells_, he called back. _I wouldn't be the same if I lost you._ He closed the door before she could respond but I could see that he wasn't the real emotional type so that must have been hard for him to say.

That just added to the guilt I was already feeling about this plan. Even though I would be saving Bella I would also be taking her away from her father. And there was still the fact that I could hurt her. This was ridiculous. I swung the car back around intention to head back home. I would simply talk to my family and make sure that Bella was safe and then I would leave. There would be no more vampire interruptions in her life.

_She's Charlie Swan's only family. It would kill him too if something ever happened to her._

I heard Alice's voice just as clearly as if she was sitting right beside me. That had been her warning when I had been fleeing last time. When I had been the threat to Bella. Could I really take a chance that I could talk my family out whatever they were planning? What if they stopped here before coming home? There were just too many variables.

I spun the car back toward Bella's house. I parked and got out quickly my mind made up. I would save her and God willing I would be able to deliver her into the hands of her mother because I didn't think there would be any help for me if after everything I was the one that killed her.

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	3. Chapter 2: Running Away

**CHAPTER TWO: RUNNING AWAY**

_Bella POV_

I heard the door click behind me but didn't pay that much attention to it. Charlie must have forgotten something or he decided to fuss over me some more.

I had never seen my dad act this way. He had barely left my side all day. Between trying to force feed me left over pizza and aspirin he was almost starting to get on my nerves. The only thing I hated more than being the center of attention was feeling like a baby and that was exactly what Charlie was doing. It didn't help that I was already in a bad mood anyway. Stupid attractive superhero.

I hadn't been able to stop thinking about Edward since we left the hospital. How had he gotten to me so fast and what was the big secret behind it? More important why was I lying for him? Oh yeah, because when he looked at me with those ridiculously beautiful topaz eyes I couldn't help but do whatever he wanted. Even if he was pissing me off in the process.

But I didn't understand why he wouldn't just tell me. It wasn't like I was going to blab whatever it was to the whole school. I wasn't even planning on telling Charlie but I just needed to know. Couldn't he understand that? I mean he had asked me all those questions yesterday about why I was in Forks and clearly none of those had been anything that could have been important to him. None of my answers had any effect on him but I had answered them. So why then couldn't he see that I would want the answers to my questions when those answers did affect me?

I turned at the light sound of a throat clearing and my breath caught in mine. There standing in my living room was the object of my recent obsession. What was he doing here? How did he get in? Charlie normally locked the door but apparently that made no difference to someone that could run across a parking lot in the blink of an eye or push moving cars aside with a flick of his wrist. Maybe he was Superman or Spiderman or some other fictitious hero.

"How did you get in?" I knew that shouldn't be the first question that I asked but it seemed the most important right now.

"Bella, you have to listen to me. We have to….."

"No" I faced him head on. "I don't have to listen to you until you start answering my questions." How dare he come here, break into my house and then not answer the simplest question I had ever asked him.

"Bella we don't have time for this." He looked really nervous and I wanted to back down and listen to whatever it was that he had to say but I just couldn't until I got some answers.

"How did you get in here?" I asked again.

He closed his eyes and looked for a moment like he was about to take a deep breath but then stopped himself. "The extra key in the awning."

My eyes widened. "How did you know about that?"

"It's just common knowledge that everyone has a key hidden somewhere by the front door." He opened his eyes looking behind him for a spit second and then turned back to me. "Since you don't have a rock or plant near the door the awning was the safe bet."

It made sense and still it sounded like it was something he had rehearsed. Just like so many of his answers did but I decided to let it go. I sat there staring at him while he did the same to me. My next question burning on my tongue but I needed to know what he would do first.

"Bella, this isn't going to make a lot of sense to you but I need to get you out of here." He didn't blink or turn his head from me then but continued to stare into my eyes.

"Why?" I couldn't look away. It was like he had me trapped by the force of his gaze.

"Because it's not safe for you here" His expression changed then and it looked as though he was in pain. I started thinking that maybe he had been hurt during his rescue attempt and had just been to proud to say anything. I rose to go help but he put up his hand to stop me. I shook my head. Just like a man to not want to admit when they need help.

"Maybe you should sit down for a minute and explain." If I could get my answers then I would forget all about the breaking and entering and Charlie would never have to know. Not that I was planning on telling him anyway.

"There's no time for that." He moved quickly up the stairs. I followed completely confused. Especially when he went into my room and opened my closet.

"What are you doing?" I yelled running to stop him.

"I told you" He backed away swiftly. "I need to get you out of here as fast as I can and you probably want some clothes for the road."

"Are you insane?" I looked him up and down. "I'm not going anywhere with you. Least of all somewhere that I would need to pack."

"Bella…."

"Don't Bella me Edward." I realized that I had never really said his name directly to him and I felt a little charge of energy as it came out. "You haven't told me anything and you expect me to just pack a bag and jump in a car with you. For Pete's sake I don't even know where you want to take me."

"Arizona" He answered walking to my window and raising it up.

"Arizona?" I repeated. Why in the world would he want to take me back to Arizona?

"Back to your mother where you will be safe" He was speaking to me but he kept his body facing the window.

"My mother isn't even in Arizona" I told him. Last time we had spoken she and Phil where in Wisconsin.

"But you could call her and she could come back and then you could travel with her and Phil until he gets picked up."

I was surprised that he remembered almost everything from our conversation yesterday. True I remembered everything but I had been positive that had more to do with my ever growing obsession with finding out what made Edward Cullen tick.

"Even if I could call her and even if she could come back why the sudden urgency for me to head back to Arizona?" This was one question he was going to have to answer. "Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?"

He spun around at that. "I'm trying to protect you."

"From who?" I asked softly.

He closed his eyes again and this time pinched the bridge of his nose. I could tell that he still didn't want to tell me but there were just some things I needed to know.

"Edward, who are you trying to protect me from?"

"My family" He finally said.

I had not been expecting that. What did his family have to do with this? Did he think they would start treating me meanly because he had risked his life to save mine?

"Why would your family hurt me?" I laughed softly. "They don't even know me."

"Bella" He still hadn't looked at me and that same flash of pain from downstairs went across his face again. "We aren't like other people."

"Are you talking about the way you stopped the van?" Would I finally get my answers?

"Partly" he finally looked at me. "Listen, my family is very upset that I acted to save you and there is ever possibility that they will try to do something to….reverse….what I did."

I was sure that I didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. Even if they were livid how could they reverse what was done? It wasn't like they could go back in time and make sure that I was crushed by the van.

I sucked in a strangled breath as his wording hit me. They were upset that he saved me. So if they were going to reverse what he did then that would mean that….that…..I couldn't say it. Surely they wouldn't. I mean who were these people? What kind of secret required this type of action?

"I see you understand what I am telling you." Edward spoke calmly.

"NO I don't" My voice had risen to near hysteria levels. "You can't possibly think that your family would….would….." I couldn't say the words.

"Yes I do" He didn't blink or look away as he answered me.

"Who are you?" I questioned. "Who are you people that you would do such a thing? And why me?"

"It's my fault" The pain was back on his face. "But you have to know that no matter what they might try I wouldn't have changed what I did. I couldn't let you die Bella." He paused. "Not then and not now. That's why I have to get you out of here."

"What am I suppose to say to Charlie?"

"Tell him that you needed a little space to recover or that you missed your mom or whatever you think will keep him from coming after you and bringing you back." He moved a little closer to me. "At least until I can get them to calm down and see reason."

"And what if you can't?" I asked. "Am I just supposed to walk around for the rest of my life hoping that none of them jump out and attack?"

The pained look was worse this time but he quickly wiped it away. "I'll make this right Bella. I promise" He moved again this time stopping right in front of me and breathing deep. I saw his eyes flash with a hint of danger but then cool slowly. "Trust me."

How could I not when he was looking at me as if his very life depended on my survival. I nodded and turned to pull a small duffle bag out of my closet. I packed lightly knowing that most of my clothing was still in my old house. I moved around him to the desk and grabbed a few books and then went to my bed for the money that I had brought with me.

"Let me help you" Edward finally moved when he saw that I was lifting the mattress. I pulled out my worn sock as he held it up and smiled tightly toward him to let him know that I was finished. I reached over to my desk and pulled out a slip of paper from the notebook sitting on top and began to scribble a note for Charlie as Edward walked back over to the open window.

When all was done I went back down the stairs, Edward close but still distant behind me. I left the note propped up on the kitchen counter and turned toward him. "Okay" I swallowed the sudden fear of being alone with him and looked around the small house that hadn't even had a chance to feel like home.

I hadn't wanted to come here but somehow leaving like this didn't feel right either. I wasn't sure that Charlie would understand or forgive me and I knew that Renee would be over the top with worry as soon as he called her. Chances are that she would beat us back to Arizona provided she had enough money left to buy the ticket.

"Wait" I stopped Edward at the door. "My mom might not be able to come back right away." They had used so much of their savings moving from city to city in the hope of Phil being signed. What if they had used all of it?

"Why?"

"Renee and Phil don't have a lot of money" I filled him it. "She may not be able to afford a last minute ticket to Arizona. Those prices can be really high and that all depends on where they are."

"Don't worry about it." He smiled a crooked smile at me and I felt my heart pick up. His smile instantly chanced to a frown as if reacting to the sound but how could he have heard that? "I can pay for her ticket or yours if need be."

"Who are you people?" I had to ask again. What kind of family threatened lives and had money just lying around to buy last minute plane tickets?

He didn't answer and honestly I really wasn't expecting him to. Whatever the secret was didn't seem as important anymore. Not if knowing nothing lead to this. I hated to think what would have happened if he had actually told me the truth.

I walked quickly behind him as we headed down the street to a car that I had never seen the likes of before. It had to be the slickest car on the planet. The windows were all tinted a darker black than what had to legally acceptable but I was quickly learning that the Cullens weren't the most legal people in the world. The wheels on this car alone had to be worth more than Charlie's whole house. It looked like a rocket fresh out the gate.

Edward opened the passenger side door and put my back in the very limited backseat. He then pulled out two blankets and motioned for me to get in. I slid in easily despite the fact that I felt like I was sitting on the ground. "Put your seat belt on" His velvet voice ordered and I complied. He handed both blankets to me and shut the door. Before I could figure out why he was in his seat and had the car started. I hadn't even seen him move and he we were zooming down the road headed toward the freeway with the window on his side rolled all the way down.

"The blankets are for if you get cold" He informed me looking down toward the seat rest in between us. "And if you push this button here the seat will warm up."

Car's with seat warmers? I never thought to be in such a vehicle. "Who are you?" The question escaped my mouth before I could remember that asking questions seemed to be hazardous to my health.

He laughed lightly and looked over at me. "Aren't you getting a tired of asking that question?"

I found myself laughing with him. Yes, I was but mostly because I was getting tired of him not answering it. "So the plan is to take me to Arizona and drop me off and then what?"

"And then you live a happy, safe and normal life." He didn't take his eyes away from the road in front of us.

"And what about you?" I wanted to know.

"What about me?" He spared a confused look in my direction.

"Well, won't your family be upset that you kidnapped me and disappeared for a few days?"

"Yes they will" Again the pain written on his face made me want to reach out and help but I kept my distance. "But they will get over it."

"Are you sure?" He didn't answer nor did he look at me. I stared at his profile for a little longer but finally realized that there was no point. That was obviously one of those answers that I wasn't going to receive.

I turned to watch as the scenery passes by us way to fast but didn't say another word. I could tell that he was sacrificing a lot to make sure I was okay and I would respect that and let him be. I let my eyes close and leaned back into the seat. It was amazing how now that I couldn't see anything it felt as if we weren't moving at all. I let my mind wonder to all that I knew about Edward and his family.

They were amazingly beautiful. They were all adopted and not above taking the law into their own hands. They had extra money and cars that rode like the wind. He was incredibly fast and insanely secretive. If I took all that and added it up it only lend to one thing; they were not normal. But who was these days. The real question was how not normal were they and that was the one answer I was beginning to believe would cost me my life.

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	4. Chapter 3: The Road

**CHAPTER THREE: THE ROAD**

_Edward POV_

It had been two hours since we left Forks and Bella hadn't said a word. She was simply laying there with her eyes closed. I didn't know if she was sleep or just overwhelmed. I had told her more than I had wanted to in her room but it had gotten her in the car and now she was safe. That was provided Alice didn't tell the others where we were going or how we were getting there.

I still couldn't believe that I had in essence kidnapped her, granted with her help, and was currently driving her across state lines. If I were human I would be worried about going to some kind of federal prison for this instead of keeping her scent from saturating my car.

Two hours and I already needed to stop. I wanted to make it at least to Oregon before having to take a break but at this rate it was going to be a lot sooner. But I took comfort in the fact that it wasn't as bad as I had expected it to be. There was the normal burn but I was getting use to it and actually able to breathe normally and my eyes hadn't darkened all that much. I could feel the monster within jumping at the possibility that he might be able to feast off of the tantalizing creature next to me but I was in control. He was nothing more than a steady hum in the back of my head. Which was why I knew that I needed to hunt soon before he got any louder.

But that presented its own problem. How would I explain to Bella my pulling over on the side of a forest to run off and find whatever wild life that happened to be nearby? She would think I was an even bigger freak than she must think I am already. I guess I could stop at a hotel so that she could sleep in a real bed but that would simply prolong the time that we were together and all that could do was put her in more danger. So what was I to do?

This would be a lot easier if I could just tell her the truth. I couldn't explain it but for some reason I felt like she would understand but that would be even more irresponsible and give Rose and Jasper one more reason to come looking for her. No, telling her the truth was not an option but what then?

Even with my driving we had a minimum of thirteen hours left before we reached Arizona and there was no way that I was going to be able to make it through all of them only stopping once or twice. If I were alone then that wouldn't be a problem but with having Bella here then that was going to need to be doubled; probably tripled.

Maybe I could pass each hunt off as a bathroom break. That would be believable. Humans always needed to go to the bathroom but that might be a problem too. If I had to pull into a rest stop to hunt then I would be close to humans when I let my instincts take over; I would be close to Bella. There is no way that could end well.

But if I found rest stops that were farther off the highway then normal and less busy then I would be able to run far enough away that there wouldn't be anybody near. And as long as Bella was kept busy or at least not paying attention then she wouldn't notice that I didn't actually go into the restroom at all.

This was shaping up to be the better of all my ideas and I found myself wishing that I had brought a map that showed the rest areas. I knew that there was a gas station about a mile up the road so maybe now was a good time to stop and map out where the best places to stop would be. I could pick up the right map and give myself a few minutes of air that didn't have Bella's wonderful scent mix in with it.

I slowed my speed and moved into the closest lane to the exit all without waking Bella or disturbing her. I looked at the gas reader and decided that I might as well get gas while I was here also. It wasn't needed but the fewer stops I could make the better this trip would go.

"Why are we stopping?" Her soft voice resonated threw the car.

"I need a map and I figured I might as well get gas." I told her looking over to see that she was sitting up. There wasn't a trace of sleep to her face. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"I wasn't sleep" she spoke to the window not looking at me at all.

"You weren't?" But she had looked so peaceful.

"No" She breathed in. "I was just thinking."

I knew that I shouldn't ask but I didn't want her to be scared. For some reason I needed her to know that she was safe with me even if I wasn't sure that was true. "What about?"

"Charlie" That wasn't what I was expecting at all. I stayed quiet hoping that she would explain why her mind was thinking about her dad with everything I had told her.

"He's never going to forgive me for this." There was such sadness in her voice that I almost reached out to take her hand. I stopped myself before I could touch her knowing that would be a colossal mistake.

"Of course he will" I tried to comfort her with my voice since I couldn't do anything else.

"No" She was shaking her head. "I don't think he will." She turned to me then. "But at least I'll be around to ask, right?"

She was trying to make light of all the information that I had given her. "Right" I agreed pulling next to the pump.

She was such a different human. Here I had basically told her that my family was going to try to kill her and she was worried about her father's feelings. When I had been in pain from her scent back at her house in Forks she had started to help even though I was trespassing and could have been there to hurt her. I had never met any human more concerned with others in all the years that I had been around. Other than Carlisle I didn't think such a selfless person existed but here she was proving me wrong.

I opened the door to get out and noticed that she was doing the same. "Where are you going?" I asked abruptly. The last thing I needed was her trying to run off or tipping off someone that I had taken her without permission even though she had gotten into my car willingly.

"Snack food" She pointed toward the little convenience store. "If we are going to do a road trip then we should at least do it properly." She smiled and then skipped off to the store.

I found myself laughing behind her and I placed the nozzle in the gas pump and followed her in. If she only knew my idea of snack food she wouldn't be in such a hurry.

I walked in and was accosted with her scent. This was why it was better that I didn't stop too often. The longer we were together the more danger she was in. I went to look at the maps and found one that showed exactly what I wanted. I waited for her at the counter trying to take in as much of the dirty cashiers smell as possible.

When she made it to me she it looked like she had everything in the store. Soda, multiple kinds of candy, chips and a fruit smelling drink that looked more like ice then liquid. My eyes widened at the thought of her spilling any of this in my prize car. No one had ever eaten anything in there and I hadn't expected that someday someone would or I would have gotten the stain protector for the seats.

"Did you want anything special?" She asked looking up into my eyes. Why was it that Bella never seemed afraid of me? I could feel the monster's glee at the idea of her blood as being special but there was something in her eyes that quieted him. Never had I felt more normal then when I was in her presence and when the scent of her wasn't setting my throat on fire.

"No" I shook my head motioning for the cashier to add all that she had to my purchases. "Are you going to eat all that?"

"Not right away" She shrugged. "But it's some time until we get to Arizona."

"Do you think I'm going to starve you?" I joked surprising myself. First that I could joke with her so close and second that up until this moment I hadn't thought about the fact that she would need to eat. I had been so focused on my not eating her and finding a way to hunt that I had forgotten all about her needs.

"Of course not" She laughed. "If you were going to starve me to death you would have just left me to your family." Suddenly her laughter stopped as if she just realized the seriousness of her statement.

"Forty-eight, sixty-two." The clerk interrupted the tense moment looking at both of us as if we were crazy. I handed him a fifty and told him to keep the change.

When we were outside Bella looked up at me strangely but didn't say anything. For the hundredth time since meeting her I wondered what she was thinking. There was so much that had happened in the last twelve hours to upset her life and I was right in the center of it. If she were smart she would be thinking how she couldn't wait to get away from me and she would be right.

"Would you do me a favor?" I couldn't bring myself to ask what I really wanted to know.

"What?"

"Put one of the blankets down up under you so that if you waste anything it won't get on the seat." I really didn't want to always remember Bella as the girl that burned my throat and stained my car.

She laughed again. "Sure thing." Was her voice always so heavenly? "I would hate to mess up your car. Especially since I would have to work most of my life to be able to pay to fix it."

I rolled my eyes at her and then shook my head. Since when do I roll my eyes? I let her walk in front of me so that I could spread the map out on the hood before getting back in the car. This way at least I could have a few more minutes of clean air before subjecting myself to Bella once again.

I had just started to look at the map when I heard Bella scream. I raced around faster than normal just as she barreled into my chest. Her arms were wrapped around my waist and her head was tucked against my arm. My throat flamed as the monster demanded that I take her now with no one but an easily dealt with clerk as witness. Yet my shock over powered him as I let her hold onto me without moving to push her aside.

"Bella?"

"They found us" She wept into my sleeve as a current of ice ran through my body. I looked up to see Alice sitting calmly in the front seat of the Vanquish with a smile on her face and Bella's drink in her hand.

_

* * *

_

Alice POV

Man that trunk had been cramped. I thought as I moved to open the lid and slid out. It was amazing that I had managed this long but I guess two hours of not breathing wasn't really all that hard. Especially when I had spent most of the time concentrating on not thinking. That was the hardest part.

But now I was out and we would all be fine. I walked around to the side door and opened in letting Bella's scent drift out. It was a wonder that boy hadn't killed her by now. Her scent was everywhere window down or not. He would have done better putting the top down but that wouldn't work out so well when we really got on the road. There were going to be way too many sunny states that we were going to have to go through before we reached Bella's mom. I laughed to myself. I wonder how many we would have to go through before my vision came true.

Didn't Edward know that as soon as I saw him standing outside Jasper's classroom that I would know something was going on? That I would be able to see his future shifting and taking shape with every decision that he made? It's a good thing that Bella is so suborn or I never would have had time to pack up his things and mine for our impromptu road trip and leave a note telling the family that everything was fine and they should head to Denali for a few weeks.

I put all of Bella's things in the truck and pulled out the essentials that I knew we would need before heading back inside the car. Let's see, I tried to continually block Edward from my mind but at this rate I was pretty sure that he would know that I was here no matter what I did so I might as well wait for them inside. But should I be in the back seat or the front. I didn't want Bella to think that I was forcing her into the back but if I sit in the back then she's going to drop her drink all over Edward's seat. Oh well, better to save his seat and move later than to have her sitting in something sticky for another five hours.

I got comfortable and let my head relax into the seat back. I drifted through the visions that had come to me before we left. I didn't want to think about the worst of the pack. That was the one that made me get up out of my geometry class and head home so that I could make this journey with them. Instead I focused on the happier visions that had come to me as I was folding myself into the trunk. I smiled; this was going to be a good trip for Edward and Bella. Hmm, Edward and Bella; had a good ring to it. Glad I brought the camera.

I was also glad that he had made the decision to see her home. This one had a much better outcome than the one where he just put her on a plane and left. In that vision Esme had been beside herself and Jasper had decided to take matters into his own hands. I shuttered at the thought. Bella and I were going to be best friends and just the thought of my husband being the one to cause her death did not sit well with me at all. However, I also didn't like the idea of my brother being the culprit either. Boy, it was a good thing I was here.

"Would you do me a favor?" I heard Edward's voice.

"What?" Bella sounded so much different up close. I smiled again thinking of all the fun that we were going to have.

"Put one of the blankets down up under you so that if you waste anything it won't get on the seat." I smothered my laugh at that. Leave it to Edward to be worrying about his precious little Vanquish. It really was a good thing I was here and had decided to sit in the front. He would never forgive her if she wasted that drink all over his car even though it would take nothing but a little detailing to get it up.

I heard Bella laughing. This was a good sign. "Sure thing" And it sounded like she wasn't taking him that serious. This was a very good sign. "I would hate to mess up your car. Especially since I would have to work most of my life to be able to pay to fix it."

Again I held back on my laugh wondering what Edward must be focusing on so strongly that he hadn't noticed my presence yet. He should have easily been able to read my thought now whether I was trying to block them or not but still nothing. I suddenly had a flash of Bella screaming and understood the vision of the soda dropping. I had wondered how it was going to end up all over his seats. There was nothing to do about it now. If I stood up she would just drop in on the ground and if I tried to hide before she could see me it would just frighten her more when I did show up.

Sure enough Bella moved around the door a few seconds after I pasted on my friendliest smile. Scream, drop and then run for Edward. Okay I hadn't seen the run for Edward. This was going to be easier than I thought.

"Bella?" I heard the anxiousness in Edward's voice right off. Whatever happened in this car over the last two hours must have been quite interesting.

"They found us" I could hear her tears but I kept my smile firmly in place so that Edward knew that I had come in peace.

They both came around the door then. Bella wrapped around Edward's middle and her head buried inside his chest. My smile grew. This was getting easier all the time.

I could tell the minute that Edward noticed me. His eyes widened, his lips pulled back slightly and a sharp but almost playful growl rumbled in his chest. He was protecting her; from me. How great was that? Visions started coming at me at an alarming speed and my smile disappeared as I tried to process all that I was being given.

"Alice?" His voice had calmed and now sounded more alarmed than angry.

I sat Bella's drink in the cup holder and took in a deep breath to clear my head before I looked up at him. "We have a lot to talk about."

**AN: You just can't have a road trip without Alice. She makes everything more fun. Sorry that I am posting a little later than usual but I had a webinar that I had to attend and didn't get a chance to add this beforehand. I hope that you enjoy and don't forget to review. They are like little rays of sunshine in my inbox :).**


	5. Chapter 4: Unexpected Passenger

**CHAPTER 4: UNEXPECTED PASSANGER**

_Bella POV_

I couldn't believe that I had grabbed Edward. What was I thinking? I had thrown myself at him without thinking. Not only that but I hadn't let go. Mostly because his sister was still sitting there staring at us both.

I pulled myself closer to him noticing just how strong he was. No, that wasn't the right word. He was hard. It was like leaning against a wall. The other thing that struck me was how cold he was. It could have been because he had been sitting with the window down for the whole ride or maybe the fact that he didn't have on a coat. Either way he was an ice cube. A cold, hard ice cube. I mentally added that to my ever growing "What are the Cullens" list.

I heard his sister draw breath and raised my head to look at her not even thinking about letting Edward go. I couldn't explain it but even with everything that was going on and everything that I didn't know about him, I still felt safe with him.

The little one, Alice I believe her name was, had a strange expression covering her face. It was similar nausea but she didn't look green. If anything she looked just as perfect as they all did.

"Alice?" Edward's voice sounded worried. What did this mean? Would my life be forfeited now only a few hours away from home? Had I hurt Charlie for no reason?

As I was pondering my fate, Alice looked up at Edward smiling bigger than she had been when I first saw her. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Are you alone?" Edward's velvety voice sounded strained.

"Of course" She shrugged taking note of the fact that I was still wrapped around her brother. Her eyes twinkled and if I didn't know any better I would think that she was happy with what she was seeing. But that was impossible. Edward had said that his family was after me and if she was here then that must mean that the others weren't that far away.

"What are you doing here?" I didn't think it was a conscious thought but Edward pulled me closer.

"Helping" She said as if that explained everything.

"Where did you come from?"

"The trunk"

"The trunk?" Edward's voice registered the same shock that had to be written all over my face. Who rode in a trunk willingly?

"Well, I couldn't just let you leave all by yourself." She looked as if this statement made sense. "You need me."

"Why didn't I hear you?"

"I concentrated on not thinking and don't think that wasn't hard" As if it was possible I thought I felt Edward get stiffer. "I tell you. The things I do for my family." She winked at me. She actually winked at me.

"Hi Bella. I'm sorry that we haven't been properly introduced what with Edward kidnapping you and all and my having to hide in the trunk; I'm Alice." She was smiling wider at me. I felt a rush of nerves hit me and she must have noticed because her smile faltered just a little. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. In face we are going to be great friends."

I heard Edwards teeth grind together. "Bella, why don't you get inside while I have a talk with my sister" He pulled my arms from around his waist.

"Um, okay" I looked between the two but said nothing more as I went to sit down.

"Don't worry Bella" Alice said as I moved past her. "You're perfectly safe with us and I didn't spill any of you slushy." Her face squinted up. "But a lot of your chips crumbled when the bag dropped. Sorry. I was more focused on the drink than the bag."

I just stared at her. How could she know about the chips? "That's okay."

She smiled and nodded at me moving closer to Edward but then turned quickly back to me. "And keep the door open. It will let the car air out just a little more." She looked at Edward but then turned back again. "And don't forget the blanket on the seat."

I just stared at her back. I didn't know why the car needed to air out but I shrugged learning not to question and reached for a blanket to put over the seat before I sat down. This had to be the strangest trip I had ever taken. Not that I was some kind of world traveler. Truthfully I had never been anywhere other than Forks, Phoenix, California and Albuquerque and none of those had really been in a car. I remember once Renee had thought we should drive cross country for the summer for fun but like most if not all of her ideas it never panned out.

I sat down the same as how I had seen Alice. I had my feet hanging outside of the car and my eyes on their conversation but it didn't look like they were talking at all. They were standing so that I couldn't really see their faces but if their lips were moving I couldn't tell. I couldn't hear anything even though they weren't that far away.

I swear the more I learned about this family the more questions I had. My not normal level was jumping up. In fact it was off the charts. Who travels in a trunk? What about breathing or space? And what if Edward hadn't stopped? And now that I think about it, how did she get out? I looked toward the back seat trying to see if you could let them down from inside but I couldn't tell. It wasn't like I was Ms. Jiffy Lube anyway.

As I sat there I heard Edward's voice getting louder. I figured she was telling him something that he didn't want to know about their family. That or that she had come to finish me off. Although she had told me not to worry but that could have been just a ploy. Something to lull me into a false sense of security before they pounce. That made more sense than her riding in a trunk for hours just to help. No one rode in trunks unless they are dead.

Oh God. That was what they were planning. They were going to stuff me in the trunk and just go about their merry way. I bet that she didn't even ride in the trunk. The rest of them are probably hiding around the corner. As soon as we pull out they are going to be waiting.

I was about to start hyperventilating when I looked over and saw Edward looking at me. Suddenly I was completely calm. He had told me that he would protect me and I felt safe with him. If his family was there I trusted that he won't let anything happen to me. I trusted him even if no one else.

_

* * *

_

Edward POV

I didn't know what to say to Bella. How was I going to explain not just Alice but her presence here? I wasn't sure that I understood it.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as fast as I could while keeping my voice low so that hopefully Bella wouldn't hear. The last thing I needed to do was give her any more reason to think whatever she thought of me.

_Helping,_ Alice was smart enough to not speak out loud I assumed for the same reason.

"By hiding in my trunk and scaring Bella have to death?" I was having a hard enough time not killing her myself. The last thing I needed was Alice's help.

_Of course not_, she scoffed. _Bella and I are best friends. Why would I want to scare her?_

I just stared at her. She hadn't said all of twenty words to the girl and she thought they were best friends. Only in my sister's mind would that make sense.

"You don't know her Alice, how is she your best friend?"

_Because she will be_, she answered_. I saw it and I also saw you succumbing to your bloodlust for her and that's why I came. _

My eyes widened at that. I had thought I was doing so well and that I had a good enough plan mapped out so that I wouldn't be too thirsty around her and here Alice was telling me that all my ideas were for naught. In the end it would be me after all that took her life.

_I don't see that anymore Edward, thank God, but I do see that you are going to need me on this trip._ She was nodding quickly.

"But if it became too much for me once Alice then what's to stop her scent from getting to me again?" I should find the nearest airport and put Bella on a plane to Arizona.

_That won't work Edward_, Alice was explaining.

"Why not?"

_Because her mother isn't in Arizona and she won't be for quite a while._ I saw a vision of Bella sitting alone in an abstractly decorated kitchen. She looked so sad and alone. _We're going to have to take her to Florida._

"WHAT?" My voice rose so loud that I had to look behind me to see if Bella had heard. Her eyes were on us but she didn't look scared anymore. Mostly she looked curious.

_Calm down_, Alice had her hand on mine. _You'll be okay and even if you aren't then I'll be here to stop you._

She had to have lost her mind. "Alice there is no way that you and I can go to Florida." There had to be three or four extremely sunny states between here and there for us to just ride around trying to find Bella's mom. The plane idea was looking better and better. "If you know that her mom is in Florida then wouldn't it make more sense to put her on a plane there instead of risking her life and ours?" I didn't want to think about what the Volturi would do to us if it got out that two shiny, glittering people were driving across country with the window down.

_Because that would ruin our fun_, she looked offended. _Besides her mother isn't in Florida yet. We still have a week maybe two before she gets there._

"I don't understand?" I was pinching the bridge of my nose trying to keep up with Alice.

_They are in a car, Bella's mom and her husband, and I can't see why it's going to take that long but I can see that if you send Bella off to Arizona she will be alone for almost two weeks before she flies out to Florida. _

"Alice even if I drove the speed limit I would still make it to Florida before that. Which leads back to the fact that we can't go to Florida." Was she not thinking of the sun at all? "What would we do in Florida?"

_See Disney World_, she smiled at me.

"Get destroyed by the Volturi." I pointed out.

_Nonsense Edward_, she was laughing. _You act like the park closes at one in the afternoon. I'm almost positive that they stay open way past when the sun goes down._

I shook my head. "So we are supposed to what? Spend a week going to Disney World after dusk?"

_Really Edward_, this time she let her hand smack against my shoulder in her amusement. _You act like there aren't other parks that we could see, but that won't be completely necessary. _

"And why not?" I hoped she could hear the sarcasm in my voice.

_Because there are like ten states in between here and there_, she looked down at the map that I had left open on the hood of my car. _Look we could see Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and the Arch in Missouri. I think they also have a baseball museum too_, her smile was back.

_Hey in Memphis we could hear some really good blues_, she nudged me. _You know how you like the blues. You think that is a metaphor? _She was laughing to herself while I scold down at her._ The Stone Mountains are in Georgia we could find some great food there_, the puzzled look was back. _Although that would be more fun for us than Bella. Plus I've never been to Tennessee and you haven't been back since Emmett joined the family._ Her eyes brightened. _Maybe we could call Emmett and he could meet us there. I'm sure he would love to see his old home._

"Alice?" From the sounds of her plans it would take us forever to get to Florida. Wasn't she concerned about Bella at all?

_Oh I didn't even notice Illinois_, she paid no attention to me. _It would be a bit of a detour but I would love to see your old home too._ That squint was back to her face and I knew that she was blocking me. _By then Bella would like to see it too. _

"What are you seeing?" I asked

_Nothing worth mentioning now_, she smiled again and then her face changed a little. _Oh almost missed that._ She looked up at me. _You need to look back at Bella right now._

I turned and saw the fear lacing Bella's face. My foot started to move toward her. _Not yet Edward. She isn't ready and neither are you but everything is fine now and we are going to have plenty to do and see before Florida._

"And what about the family?" I turned back toward her. Maybe if she wasn't going to worry about us she would worry about them. "You know Esme hates when we are separated. And Jasper? What is he going to do without you there for all the time that it would take us to make this grand trip?"

She sighed. _Jazz is going to have a difficult time but I'm not sure I want to see him yet._ She huffed and crossed her arms. _I mean really. Planning on hurting my best friend just isn't right._

"She's not your best friend" I hissed through my teeth. "And the last thing she needs is for you to get all attached to her."

_You listen to me Edward Cullen_; she put her tiny hands on her even tinier hips. _That girl sitting in that car is going to be the best, best friend I have ever had. She is going to be a sister to me and I will not stand for Jasper or you coming between that. Do you understand me?_

I closed my eyes and shook my head. There was no way that Alice and Bella would be best friends, let alone sisters. I didn't know what Alice had seen, mostly because she was still blocking me, but I couldn't believe that Bella would be alright with a vampire for a best friend. The only thing more dangerous would be a werewolf. As it was I had almost killed her myself, slammed her head on the concrete in an attempt to save her from being crushed by a car, stolen her from her warm home and loving father and that was all in the two weeks she had been in Forks. I couldn't imagine what might happen to her if she and Alice were best friends.

I tried to reason with her. "Alice I am willing to drive to Florida although it is completely out of the way but there will be no big road trip." I could see her pouting and I heard her getting ready to object. "I mean it Alice. We need to get back and Bella has to start a whole new school again."

_First of all, the longer we are away the more time Carlisle has to calm Rose and Jasper down and the easier it will be to prove that she isn't a threat._ She was mounting her defense. _Secondly, as far as school is concerned I have all of Bella's books and I can call and pretend to be her nurse or something to get her assignment so she won't miss a thing. I also have all of my books and yours so that we will be okay too_. Where had she found the time to do all this?

"But she won't be going back to Forks High School."

Alice just smiled at me and started folding the map. _I'm not going to argue with you Edward._ She turned to me handing me the map. _You are just going to have to trust me. Now let's go back. Bella is getting really suspicious and I see her coming over in one minute and three seconds._ With that she walked around me and to the passenger side of the car still smiling.

"Is everything alright?" Bella asked when we both were almost right in front of her.

"Everything is fine Bella" Alice's voice rang out. "We were just mapping out the trip."

"Shouldn't it be pretty straight forward?" Bella gave Alice a troubled look.

"Where would the fun be in that?" Alice was laughing at her. "We have time before your mother will be back so I say might as well enjoy it."

"But what about school?" Bella asked.

"I have all your books and we can call and get the assignments and then fax them back." Alice would not be deterred.

"How do you have all my books?' Bella was looking at her wide eyed.

I saw Alice's smile waiver and I laughed to myself. She wasn't expecting that. Some psychic. "Well, Bella I have all of my books and Edwards and since we are in the same grade then I just assumed that they would be the same as yours."

"Oh" I couldn't tell if Bella was buying that or not. "What about my mom and Charlie? I can't be gone to long without calling. They'll worry." I heard the catch in her voice then. I felt awful that she was running away from her family because of mine.

"We can call them from the road." Alice pulled a phone out of her pocket. "You keep this and whenever you want give them a call."

My mouth dropped open. Did she just give Bella her cell phone? Alice's cell phone was like a third arm to her. There was no way that she gave it up. I looked at the phone closely and realized that it wasn't hers but it was familiar.

"Is that one of the extra phones?"

"No one else was using them" She shrugged.

She had raided our emergency kit. We always kept three extra phones in case we had to leave any one place in a hurry. The idea was that Rose and Em would take one, Jazz and Alice another, and Carlisle and Esme the last. I didn't have one mostly because I didn't have a mate. I had always just gone with one of the other pairs and never needed one. There was a part of me that hated that it was just a given that I didn't need one because I was alone but what could I do about it? The truth was that I was alone and I didn't see that changing so there wasn't a need.

_We need to get going if we are going to make it to Idaho by tomorrow_, Alice warned me.

"Can I get past you Bella?" Alice was pointing to the back seat.

"You don't have to ride in the back Alice" Bella was telling her as she stood. "Especially after being in the trunk." I almost laughed at the lunacy of that sentence. "I can ride in the back."

_See I told you she was my best friend._ Alice was screaming at me. _Giving up her seat like that. I love her._

"Nonsense Bella" was all she said out loud. "You're taller than me and it's so small back there."

"But…." Bella was going to protest but Alice cut her off.

"I'll be fine" She told her. "Besides it might be small but it's definitely bigger than the trunk." She was laughing and to my surprise Bella was laughing too.

I stood there watching my sister and her would be best friend get into my tiny sports car in shock. There was no way that I could have ever expected this. How had I gone from wanting to kill her to trying to save her to watching my sister bond with her? And why did it bother me so much? Was it just that it seemed like a wasted effort or was there something more?

"Edward" Bella leaned out the door pulling me from my thoughts. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah" I walked around the car and got in.

"Alright, Idaho here we come" Alice beamed from the back. "Don't you just love road trips?"

I rolled my eyes at her and took off away from the gas station heading back to the highway.

**AN: I can't tell you how much fun I had writing this chapter. Alice is one of my favorite characters to write which I know that I have said before but each time it just rings true. Anyho, I hope you have enjoyed this weeks chapters and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Don't forget to review :).**


	6. Chapter 5: Chatty Alice

**CHAPTER 5: CHATTY ALICE**

_Edward POV_

Alice never shut up. At first we only drove for about a half an hour before Alice claimed that she had to go the bathroom. Of course I pulled off the highway at the next rest area and we both took off into the woods surround it. It was a good thing that Alice had thought to remind me too because with my surprise at seeing her when we stopped for gas I had forgotten that I had wanted to try and hunt then.

I'm not sure how Alice convinced Bella that we were in the restroom the whole time we were gone especially considering that Bella went in with her but she did. Bella didn't notice at all or if she did she didn't say a word and I didn't see anything in her face to make me think that she was suspicious.

I didn't think that I had ever hunted so fast in all my existence. I had gotten lucky and found two deer and a possum. I wasn't all that fond of the possum but beggars can't be choosers. I felt satiated and bursting and ready to handle Bella's scent longer this time.

It still was getting to me how the potency of her smell wasn't as bad as before. I had to believe that it had to do with the fact that I had been around her for almost a full day now. I wondered if we stopped at a hotel or something and were separated would it hit me the same tomorrow as that first day or would I still be somewhat desensitized to it.

_Edward are you paying attention_, Alice was asking. Truth was I had stopped really paying attention to her when she started telling Bella all about her childhood mostly so I wouldn't give her away. Alice knew nothing of her life before becoming a vampire but the way she was talking you would have thought that she had grown up in a nice if slightly dysfunctional family before losing her parents and twin brother and younger sister in a freak snow storm accident. Only Alice could make that sound believable.

"So Bella what does your mom do?" I tried to listen more in case Alice decided to pull me into the conversation.

"She was a teacher before she married Phil." Bella was explaining. "Now with his schedule she mostly tries to travel with him."

"That's why you were in Forks right?" Alice asked. "To give them time to themselves?"

"Yes" She was nodding but she wasn't looking Alice in the eye. It was the same as when she had been telling me the story. There was no happiness to it.

"Well that was very nice of you." Alice patted her hand not thinking about the difference in temperature. "It's not very often that people put aside what they want for others." I could see her looking at me in the rearview mirror. "Don't you agree Bella?"

"I guess" I looked up to see Bella looked at me too. I tried to smile at her but I had a feeling it came out all wrong. It was hard having her look at me like that when I knew that all this was my fault.

"Let's see" Alice was going down a list of questions she had in her head. "What was your school like back in Phoenix? Do you miss it? Did you have a lot of friends that you left behind? What about a boyfriend or someone special?"

I saw Bella's cheeks flush at the last question and I could feel the monster's glee. I could taste the venom pooling in my mouth but I stomped it back feeling a different concern about why that question should elicit that kind of response. Was there someone in Phoenix waiting for her? Was she secretly glad to be going back? And why did it matter to me?

"School was school" She shrugged. "All of them are pretty much the same I think. As far as missing it or my friends back there, I would say not really." She was looking down now and I so wanted her to look up so that I could read her eyes. It was bad enough that I couldn't get into her head but now I had no way of knowing what she was thinking. "I was mostly a loner."

"What about boys?" Alice pushed and I wanted to growl at her but I didn't want to make Bella any more uncomfortable than she already was.

"No, no boys." She wasn't looking up.

"So you never met someone that you liked?" She just wasn't going to let up.

"Umm" I saw her eyes flitter over to me fast and then continue to look down while her cheeks blushed even redder. The monster was screaming but I wasn't listening I was so focused on whatever Bella's answer would be and trying to figure out why I cared. "Not in Phoenix."

"I see" Alice laughed. "Well, there is always time and you never know. The right guy for you could be right around the corner."

I looked back at her wondering what she was doing. Surely she wasn't trying to put Bella and me together. She had to know that would be an insanely, stupid mistake. First off she was human, second I could barely be around her without wanting to attack her, and lastly Rosalie and Jasper where plotting to kill her if I didn't. And if all that wasn't enough we were taking her to Florida which was always sunny and leaving her. There was no way that we could be together.

Why did that thought make me….sad? I had known that I was just delivering her to her mother and moving on. That I was just making sure that she was safe and then she could go about her life and I could go about mine. So why did that all of a sudden bother me?

"What about pets Bella?" Alice had moved on to a different topic.

"I had a dog once but that didn't last long." She looked up smiling. "I was really too young to take care of it and my mom isn't what you would call the most responsible. I ended up giving it to a neighbor down the street. He was always sick and so I thought the dog might make him feel better and that way they could both have a better life." What kid gives up her dog to make someone else's life better?

"How about you?" Bella was looking between the two of us.

"No, we've never had any real pets" Alice was smiling. "I don't think they would last long in our house."

"Why not?"

I looked back at Alice wondering how she was going to answer that question. "Allergies" She threw in. "Plus we move a lot what with Carlisle's job and all."

"I see" Bella's face looked confused. "Can I ask you something?" My throat started to close up. Not with thirst but with nerves.

"Sure, anything" What was Alice doing? Didn't she know all the trouble one wrong question or answer could cause?

"You both are Cullens and so is the bigger one….umm…umm" She was struggling with the name.

"Emmett" Alice filled in. "Yes, we all are Cullens"

"But none of you were related before you were adopted?" How much had she put together or was this just normal curiosity? Did everyone in Forks have this same question? This was why we didn't get to close to humans. Too many questions.

"No, none of us were related before Carlisle took us in." Alice was nodding. "We just took on his last name because it was easier." Alice winked at me.

"But what about….um…umm" Again she couldn't think of the names.

"Rosalie and Jasper?" Alice provided.

"Yes" Bella nodded. "How come they aren't Cullens?"

"Well they could have been but Rosalie is quite fond of her name and status." Alice was really playing with words here. "Her parents were really important at one time and she likes to remember that. She struggled the hardest with losing her former life so Carlisle and Esme didn't see any reason to make her give up your name when that was all she really had left."

"But what about Jasper?"

"It was so long ago that Jasper was fine with whatever name he was given." Alice wasn't smiling anymore.

"That explains some." Bella was looking down again and I felt the nerves come back up.

"What do you mean?" I didn't mean to put myself in their conversation but I needed to know what she had figured out.

"It's just that you all don't really look alike." She told me.

"No we don't but deep down we're all the same" Alice laughed at her own joke and I rolled my eyes. Was she trying to give our secret away?

"What about you Edward?" Bella was looking at me now.

"What about me?"

"I told Alice about my life and she told me about hers. Now it's your turn." She was still looking at me and I stopped breathing. Not because of her scent or even the question but because her eyes were so focused on me. Those brown pools of curiosity were looking at me like they could see all my secrets and what's more I wanted to tell them.

"Edward doesn't like to talk about himself." Alice jumped in. "But I would be glad to tell you." I pulled my eyes away from Bella listening intently to what Alice was going to make up.

"Edward was actually the first that Carlisle adopted." Alice started. "He was extremely sick when they met. His father had already passed away and his mother wasn't doing that much better. It was a rare condition and Carlisle thought that he was going to lose them both." I shouldn't have been surprised that this story was closer to the truth than hers had been.

"By the time Carlisle found a way to help, Edwards mother was already gone and so Carlisle did what he could to save Edward and took him into his family." Alice finished with just the right note of sadness in her voice. Amazing. She really belonged on the stage.

"Wow" Bella was wrapped up in Alice's story. "Edward that's just….I mean….what you….and to be….." She was having trouble with whatever she was trying to say. Suddenly her hand was on mine and I couldn't move. It was like when she had grabbed me; I was frozen in shock but not fear this time. "I'm so sorry." She squeezed my hand and let go.

I couldn't speak I was so overwhelmed. I had taken her from her home and her father and here she was feeling sorry for me. "Thank you" was all I could say.

_I told she was great_, Alice was speaking to me again but my focus stayed on Bella.

"Are you hungry Bella?" Alice asked reaching for the chips that we purchased when we got gas. "Although maybe we should stop for some real food because these don't look all that appetizing." I laughed at her.

"I could go for a burger or something like that." Bella agreed with her.

"Let's look and see" She pulled out her blackberry with the pink diamond incrusted case. I saw Bella's eyes widen again. "Don't worry Bella. Once we stop somewhere good then I'll get one just like it for you." She closed her eyes. "But not pink seeing how you don't like the color. Blue or purple. You like purple right?" She sounded sure.

"Alice you can't get me a cell phone" Bella was complaining.

"Why not?" Alice shrugged not looking up at her. She was punching buttons on the phone. "You can't go around with that boring phone and you'll need something to keep in contact with your parents and everyone." She was smiling again. "Trust me Bella you are going to love it. That is once you stop complaining."

She didn't say anything else and Bella looked from her to me and then shrugged and turned in her seat. I was pretty sure I didn't want to know what she was thinking and at the same time I almost needed to know what was going on in her mind.

"What are you thinking?" I asked before really thinking about it. That was the second time today that I had spoken without any kind of thought.

"Just going with the flow." She didn't look at me when she answered.

"What do you mean?"

"I simply figure that it's easier if I stop asking questions." I could see one side of her mouth lift up. "The less I know the better right?"

"Right" I agreed. She was definitely handling this better than I would have thought.

"Look Edward they have a Dinner Wagon Ride in Idaho City" Alice exclaimed. "Doesn't that sound like fun?" _And it would be an easy way to hide the fact that we don't eat from Bella_, she was silently telling me. _All we have to do is throw the food over the side of the wagon._

I hated to admit it but she did have a good point. I nodded quickly at her. "Bella?"

"Yeah, that sounds great but doesn't it take a long time to get to Idaho?" She was looking out the window at the dark sky. "And it's so late now."

"That's true." Alice agreed going back to her phone. "Maybe tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, they have skiing and hot air balloon rides and wildlife viewing." My eyes jumped to hers as she looked up. "No better skip that last one. Their all endangered species. That wouldn't be good."

She was scrolling down just naming off things. She had to be. "Oh my God, they have a giant potato drive-in." She was laughing really hard. "We have to see that. I am so glad I brought a camera."

"You brought a camera?" Bella sounded more shocked then she looked.

"Of course" Alice sighed at her. "Bella what is a road trip without pictures and music." She looked aggravated. "Too bad Edward didn't give me more time or I could have made a few mix cd's to listen too. But I did bring the laptop and my IPod so when we stop I can put together some great songs for later." Again Bella just looked at her and shrugged while Alice went back to looking through her phone.

"Okay so if we head to Boise then we should be good." Alice was informing us. "We can get a good night's rests and then do some sightseeing tomorrow." Her eyes squinted. "But I think we should sleep in just to make sure." _It's going to be really sunny in the morning but a quick snow fall is going to make the afternoon good for us but we need to be out of there by the following last afternoon._ I nodded again. If nothing else Alice was good to have along as a meteorologist. _And Boise is right by a National Forest. We should be able to find something good there that won't hurt the environment._

"Sound's good." I answered both her spoken statements and her none spoken ones.

"Are we going to make it in time to really sleep?" Bella was still staring out the window.

"It's only eight o'clock Bella" Alice pointed to the clock on the stereo. "And we just crossed into Idaho about twenty minutes ago."

"We did" Her voice rose. "Shouldn't it take like almost a whole day to get from Washington to Idaho?" She looked over at the dashboard and started to hyperventilate.

"What's wrong Bella?" I looked over at her anxious.

"You're….you're going….you're going a hundred and fifty." She practically screamed.

"And?"

Her eyes widened even more than they were already. "Are you trying to kill us?" Of all the things about me to scare her, my driving was what did it.

"Bella I always drive this fast" I told her. "You perfectly safe."

"Are you kidding?" She didn't sound convinced. She looked back at Alice who still had her head buried in her phone. "Alice aren't you at all concerned?"

"About what?" She didn't look up.

"You're brother's driving."

She looked up then and her eyes darted to the dashboard. "No" She shook her head. "He lied too. Normally he goes faster than this." She went back to her phone. "He knows what he's doing. Just relax Bella." I looked over and Bella didn't look in the least bit relaxed.

"By the way, I found just the right phone and I'm about to order it so that we can pick it up when we go out tomorrow." Alice was smiling. "I went with a topaz stone because you'll end up liking that better than blue or purple in the long run."

Bella looked between both of us shaking her head. "Okay I have put up with a lot of different unexplainable things in the last twenty four hours but this is where I draw the line."

"I let it go when you pushed the van away with your fingers and then refused to tell me how." _She saw that_, Alice's shocked voice flooded my head. "I trusted you when you told me that I needed to leave with you before your family killed me and I didn't question when your sister showed up after spending hours in a trunk. I mean how could you have been able to breathe?" She was looking at Alice. _She's very perceptive._

"I haven't asked about why the rest of them want me dead or what the big secret is." She continued. "I didn't say anything when both of you went off into the woods when we stopped both times to go to the restroom and didn't come back for way to long." That one had me shocked because I could have sworn that she didn't notice. _She doesn't miss anything_, Alice was saying, _I just love her_. "And against my better judgment I have agreed to go to Florida with you when I know that my mother isn't anywhere near Florida all because Alice says that she will be." She pointed at me. "But after everything I refuse to die in this car because you are driving like a maniac."

I had been trying to guess when she was going to snap. All this information; I was surprised she had hung on so long. The only problem was that I didn't know what to say. I couldn't tell her the truth but I didn't want to lie to her anymore.

"Bella, listen" Alice started having put down her cell during Bella's rant. "You have to trust us. We aren't going to let anything happen to you. And as far as Edward's driving, well that you'll just get use to but no matter what your okay."

"Will you eventually tell me everything?" Bella asked her.

Alice smiled. "Bella by the time we get to Florida you will know all you need to know."

I looked back at Alice. What did she mean by that? "You're sure?" Bella was asking.

"I'm positive" She looked over at me. "You just have to trust me." _And so do you._ She picked the phone back up. "Now which would you rather do? Hot air balloon ride or see an ice cave; cause I'm rooting for the cave."

**AN: Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! I thought since it is a holiday that I would post an extra chapter just to make everyone happy. I hope you enjoyed (who doesn't want to go on a road trip with Alice and Edward). That is really it for this week. See ya soon and please, please don't forget to review!!**


	7. Chapter 6: Good Enough

**CHAPTER 6: GOOD ENOUGH**

_Bella POV_

Alice was a whirlwind. By the time we reached Boise she already had our hotel reservations, my homework assignments, and room service with a juicy cheeseburger and gigantic steak fries. By the time I got out of the shower she had laid out new pajamas that were better than any that I had ever owned and a new blanket with a note saying that it was just in case I got cold. What was with these people and cold?

The next morning when I woke up breakfast and new clothes were on my door step. I hadn't seen Alice or Edward since saying goodnight but apparently she had been quite busy. I brushed my teeth and washed my face and slipped into the clothes that fit me like a glove, how did she know, and made my way to their room.

It was silly that she was staying in the room with Edward. I didn't have any siblings but I would think that being a girl she wouldn't want to sleep in a room with a boy even if it was her brother; especially if it was her brother. Then I thought about all the rumors surrounding them about all of them being together. Maybe this was just more abnormal Cullen behavior. I mean it wasn't like anything else that they had done was normal so why should they start now.

For some reason I didn't want to think about the two of them together. Not just because I couldn't imagine anything more gross but because of Edward. I knew that there was every possibility that given enough time together I could really start to like him. I didn't begin to harbor any notion that he would ever be interested in someone like me but I could see how I could fall for him.

There was the hero worship of course. If I were counting then this would be the second time that he saved my life. Who wouldn't like someone that kept saving them and reminding them that they were safe with them? Then there was the fact that he was drop dead gorgeous. I could look at him all day and never get tired. His eyes alone made me light headed and dizzy. Add in the fact that he has been nothing but polite and considerate about all this and yeah I could really let myself like him.

But I wouldn't. It would just be courting heartbreak. Even if I didn't know that I wasn't anywhere near good enough for him there was the matter of him taking me to Florida and dropping me off with my mom so that his family didn't attack me. I couldn't bring myself to say the other word anymore. Sure he had gone against his family to get me out of town but to be with me he would have to go against them every day. There was no one that would do that.

So that left me hoping that I didn't get too attached to him before we reached Florida or I was sure that I would spend the first few weeks crying like a baby wishing I had never gone to stupid Forks.

I reached their room and knocked lightly. There was some movement on the other side of the door but it didn't sound right. Almost as if someone was moving something just to move it. Alice came to the door a few seconds later already dress too.

"Morning Bella" She was always smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby" Which was so true. "I don't think I have ever stayed any place as nice as this."

"Really?" Alice looked offended. "I wouldn't think of staying anywhere else. I love the Hampton Suites. They are just so comfy."

"Yes I guess they are." I noticed that we were still standing in the doorway. "Is Edward not awake?"

"He's in the shower" She opened the door wider but stayed in the doorway. "Why don't we take a walk around the lobby until he gets done? Your phone will get here in fifteen minutes and we can pick it up at the desk." I decided not to question how she knew that.

"Alice, I really don't need a phone." I didn't think it would do any good but I protested once more. "As it is I'm never going to be able to pay you guys back for hotel and gas and food we've had so far and that's not mentioning the rest of the way to Florida."

"Don't be silly Bella" She scoffed and closed the door behind her. "There's no need to pay us back. Besides your family and family helps each other out."

I just stared at her. Was she serious? Did she not know that her "family" was planning on doing away with me? "But Edward said that your family was planning on…on…." I couldn't say it.

"Edward tends to overreact." She was shaking her head. "You'll learn that eventually."

"You mean I didn't have to leave Charlie?" If she said yes I was going to kill him myself.

"No, that was a good idea." She let me know. "It will give Jasper and Rosalie time to cool off."

"Just them?"

"Just them" Smiled at me.

"But I thought it was the whole family?" Was this going to be another thing to add to my ever growing list?

She looked as if she was having a hard time figuring out what to say and keeping her smile. "Bella, my family is complicated. They see things as one or the other sometimes and well Jasper is extremely protective and Rosalie just has a huge temper." She explained. "But Emmett doesn't have anything against you. Right now he's busy just keeping Rosalie calm and Carlisle and Esme are just worried. They don't like having the family apart."

"How do you know that?" I asked. "Did you talk to them? Do they know where we are?"

"No they don't know where we are, but not to worry you'll be fine." The smile was back.

"You must know that I don't understand any of this." I opened up to her. "I don't understand why they are so mad just because Edward saved my life. You would think with a father that is a doctor and after everything you told me about how you all lost someone they would be more understanding."

"I agree" She nodded her head. "And they will be but we need to give them some more time."

"I can't be gone forever Alice" She acted like I could just ride around in Edward's car until we were all thirty.

"You won't be." She put her arm around my shoulder. "You'll be home in time to hear all the petty gossip of Forks before you know it."

"Forks?" The more I talked to her the more confused I got. "I thought we were going to Florida?"

"We are" She laughed at me. "Bella you are so entertaining." Then she skipped off to the front desk asking about any packages.

Sure enough the phone was waiting for her. She pulled me to an empty table and handed it to me to open. But as I was about to put my finger under the lid she looked up with horror in her eyes and stopped me. "Better let me do that. It will be better all around." Again I didn't understand but I let her open it. She was more excited for it than I was anyway.

She explained to me how the phone worked showing me by example on hers. She programmed her number, Edward's number and Emmett's into the phone. When I asked why Emmett she just shrugged and said "You never know". Then her face got that far away look again and she started pushing more buttons. "Better put in Carlisle's too. You're pretty accident prone." That done she handed the phone to me so that I could put in my parents number. She was surprised when I had no one else's number to put in like Mike, Jessica, or Angela but I explained that I hadn't really been around them long enough to consider them phone friends. Sure I had called talked to Jessica a few times on the phone but she had always called me.

By the time I had a small understanding of how the phone worked she ushered me outside claiming that Edward was on his way down. I hadn't expected it to be snowing and this was nothing in ratio to Forks but it made it look more like the cloud covered town then I would have thought possible. Seconds later, as predicted, Edward came walking out. There was a slight look of pain on his face but it cleared almost immediately by the time he reached us standing by the car.

"This is going to be a problem" Alice had that squinted eye look. "Bella give me a second to talk to Edward really quick."

She pulled him aside and said something to him really fast. He didn't like whatever it was that she said because he almost looked angry. She was shaking her head and his lips weren't moving the same as yesterday. This gave me an idea. Could they hear each other's thoughts? It didn't make sense but watching their silent conversation you could almost bet that they could. And the way that Alice seemed to know when things were going to happen. Could she be psychic? Were these things even possible?

Two days ago I might have laughed at my thoughts but now I wasn't so sure. There were so many things on my Cullen list now that anything seemed possible. They could come back and tell me they were zombies or something crazy like that I would believe them. They turned to face me then and Edward walked toward me while Alice went back inside.

"Where is Alice going?"

"She forgot a few things." He waved it off but I saw that he stopped further away from me then normal when having a conversation. I was going to have to stop trying to use that word when talking about the Cullens. Normal would just never apply.

"Should we get in?" I motioned to the car. It wasn't Forks cold but the temperature was biting and I hadn't had time to invest in a good winter coat. I looked Edward up and down and saw that he wasn't wearing a coat at all. "Aren't you freezing? Is that what Alice forgot? The coats?"

A look of worry crossed his face. "Yeah she did but she left them in Forks so we are going to have to find somewhere to stop and get new ones." He breathed deep taking another step closer to me. "How was your night?"

"Good" I told him. "How was yours?"

"Good" He didn't say anything else.

I watched him look around us moving his head at short intervals. Okay time to test out my theory. _Shouldn't Alice be back_, I thought as hard as I could while staring directly at him. He must have felt my eyes on his face because he turned then and stared back at me. He didn't say anything to answer my question but he didn't take his eyes off mine either. I felt myself getting light headed and I wanted to look away but I couldn't. He had me pinned in this spot with his eyes and there wasn't anything I could do about it even when I felt my knees start to give way.

"Breathe Bella" His velvety soft anxious voice floated to me. I started forcing air through my chest and all that did was bring his scent closer to me. That wasn't the only thing closer to me. Edward had his arms around my waist and I was inches away from his chest. His eyes were still staring at me but now they looked concerned and had darkened some.

But as I stood there leaning against his chest staring into his eyes trying to figure out for the hundredth time what he was his eyes changed. They lighten right in front of me. One minute they were a dark bronzed gold and the next they were a honey kissed yellow. He seemed to notice too because a smile came to his lips. It was as wide or broad as Alice and there was something a little off to it, almost crooked, but it was perfect.

"Are you okay?" His breath wiped over me and I stopped breathing forgetting his words of a few minutes ago. "Breathe Bella" He reminded me. Then he let out a small laugh. "What am I going to do with you?"

I wanted to say kiss me but I knew that would never happen. So I just shook my head which earned another laugh.

"I like you when you laugh" I said breathlessly.

"Me too" He smiled that crooked smile at me before straightening up. "You sure you're okay?" I nodded still not really able to breathe right. "Good." He let me go completely then walking past me to the car and opening the door. "Shall we?"

"What about Alice?" I asked finding my voice.

"She should be down soon." It wasn't as pin point as Alice but it still gave credence to my earlier theory.

_Are you sure_, I tried again this time not staring so hard into his eyes but trying to push my question through none the less.

This time when he stared back he seemed to have an idea that I was trying something. "What are you doing?"

_Nothing_, I answered in my head waiting for him to respond.

"Bella?" For the first time he was looking at me about as strangle as I would say I had been looking at him. "Are you sure you're alright? Maybe you should sit down."

_I'm fine_; I gave it one last attempt.

"Come on" He looked more nervous than curious this time. "Let's get you inside." He lifted his hand for me to take it.

"Okay" I gave up. Me and my stupid theories. Like any human could read minds. What had I been thinking? I was glad that I had been wrong. If he could read them he would be laughing his head off at me.

"What did I miss?" Alice bounced over to the car sliding easily in the back.

"Nothing much" I told her thinking that the last thing I needed was for them to find out what I had been thinking.

Edward nodded with me and closed the door. Seconds later he was inside and pulling off the parking lot. "Where to Alice?"

"I think we should get Bella a better coat first and then the ice caves." She picked up her phone, which I was learning she lived with, and gave him directions. I saw her look at him the same way that I had been trying and again it looked like they were having a private conversation. Whatever it was it obviously thrilled her because she turned back to me with the biggest smile I had seen yet. And that was saying something.

"Bella did I mention that I just absolutely love you." She put her arms around me and I had one more thing to add to the list. She was just as cold and hard as Edward. "I swear I could just eat you up." Edward turned swiftly in his seat. "Don't worry. I won't." She looked at him. "Sisters don't eat sisters. It's in the handbook."

**AN: Has our little Ms. Swan figured things out? Is she getting close to the truth? Maybe, maybe not but I loved writing this chapter. It was fun to see Bella actually try to get Edward to read her thoughts for a change. Hope you liked it to and the best way to let me know what you thought is by pressing that little review button right below. It's green so you can't miss it. Go ahead, it won't bit and then after that go to the next chapter and do the same. Okay see ya soon.**

**Ps. don't forget to review. They make me happy and a happy writer is a busy writer.**


	8. Chapter 7: Knew It

**CHAPTER 7: KNEW IT**

_Alice POV_

This was going to be a cake walk, not that I understood that expression, but as long as it stood for easy then it applied to this. And this would be putting Edward with Bella. I hadn't been expecting it when the first vision hit of Edward killing Bella; that was the one that got me to leave class, but when the second came of him traveling the highway with her I had stopped waiting to see what would happen. That was when the best two had come and I had known what I needed to do.

It wasn't until getting out the trunk that I had the best ones of all. Them holding hands, her riding on his back, and the two of them lying together in some sort of meadow. It was hard blocking them sitting there right in front of Edward but I had managed. Maybe those two hours of not thinking were paying off. I'll be a pro at blocking Edward by the time we get back to Forks. I would medal in it if it was a sport at the Olympics. Matter of fact he might never hear me again. That would drive him crazy.

I laughed to myself. I was only joking. No matter how hard I tried something would always slip through. Even now I had a feeling that he could tell something was going on. He would look back at me every once in awhile but not say a word. Maybe it was because he didn't want to know or maybe it was because he had been talking to Bella every since we left Idaho.

At first it was hard to get them talking. I had had to hold the conversation the whole time that we were shopping. It was great how Bella had noticed that we didn't have coats so that gave me an excuse to get a few other things and to get her a newer coat too. That one that she had was entirely to light and not stylist at all. Besides basic tan is just so not her color. After that we had headed off to the Giant Potato Drive-In. I had laughed so much as Bella questioned who would eat that. The movie had been okay but the best was when Bella fell asleep and whispered Edward's name. That was all it took and he hasn't taken his eyes off her since and while we were hunting last night he kept asking if Bella was okay and should we head back just in case. That was when I had the hardest time keeping my thoughts to myself. I was just so happy.

I looked through the pictures on my camera of the three of us by the potato and in the ice caves. I so wanted to post them on my Facebook page but if I did then the rest of the family would know where we were. I had been texting Jasper, Emmett, Esme and Carlisle; pretty much everyone but Rose. I wanted them to know that we where alright and that Edward was doing well so that they wouldn't worry. I also had to still keep a look out for them to see if anything was going to happen while we were gone. It was a lot of work but it's what you do for those you love.

Jasper was going insane without me there. He had stopped going to school, in fact they all had, claiming that they were going on a humanitarian mission to Africa with Carlisle. Instead they were in Denali with Tanya but he wanted to come find me. He swore that he wouldn't hurt Bella but he just needed to be with me. I wanted to tell him yes but I couldn't; at least not yet. I missed him something terrible but it would scare Bella if he showed up and he and Edward would get into a huge fight. I had looked for every scenario to see if it could work out but it didn't. Still I kept looking.

Emmett was looking better and I had a feeling that he would be joining us at some point but it hadn't been decided when. Esme was the hardest next to Jasper. She so hated when the family wasn't together and this was hurting her so much. She understood what we were doing but she didn't understand why we had to do it alone. According to her, Rose had calmed down and Carlisle had forbid anyone to harm Bella so there was no reason why they couldn't come along with us except for the fact that I looked at that scenario too and it only ended in losing Bella and I wasn't going to let that happen; not when this met so much to Edward. So I held everyone off.

Edward didn't know that I was keeping the family in the loop or he would be furious. He was so sure that this was the only way to protect Bella and the more time they were together the more protective he would become. I had to come up with a way to convince him to trust that they wouldn't do anything but first he had to fall in love and I was sure that he was at least half way there.

The car had gotten quiet. We were on our way to South Dakota. At first we were going to stop in Wyoming but I wasn't sure what we might want to see and Edward wanted to get further into the trip. Bella was staring at her new phone and Edward was quietly singing to one of the cd's I had made last night. I focused on Bella because she looked so completely baffled that I couldn't help it.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

She looked up and her face turned bright red. Goodness, she blushed at anything. "Nothing really" She looked back to the phone. "It's just…didn't you say that I could check my email on here?"

"Absolutely" I reached for the phone to show her.

"Thanks" She said when I had the page pulled up. "It's silly really but I haven't been able to get in touch with my mom and she normally emails me so I wanted to check."

"There's nothing silly about that." I loved how concerned she was with others and as I glanced over at Edward I got the feeling that he did too.

_Car swerving, I jump for the wheel, to late can't stop him, Bella turning, Screams, Carlisle "What do we do", race into the woods._

I breathed deep. That can't be right. What happened? He was doing so well. I went back searching to find the catalyst before it was too late. I looked at everything said, every decision until I found it.

_We have to stop in Wyoming_; my voice had to be frantic in Edward's head. He looked up in the rearview mirror with confusion. _Yellowstone National Park is there and not too far away. Stop there._

"It's to public" His lips moved faster than Bella would have been able to see. "There are too many people that camp there. It wouldn't be safe."

_Edward_, I screamed, _I don't give a damn about too public. We have to stop. _

"Alice, Bella would be too close." He was shaking his head. "I won't take that risk with her."

_If you don't stop you are going to be taking an even bigger risk with her_, and I stopped blocking him so that he could see the last vision I had had. He gasp louder than normal and I saw Bella looked up. I waited until she went back to the phone and continued. _We don't have to hunt in the park. We could run up to Montana or something but we have to stop._

"Alright" Edward caved. "I'll make the adjustments. Do we have time?"

I scanned his and Bella's immediate future. _OH NO!_ I turned to Bella but I had missed it. I had been so focused on keeping her alive that I hadn't seen.

"I knew it." She was looking between the two of us. "I knew you could hear each other's thoughts." She looked into my shocked face and stayed there. "And your psychic" It wasn't a question so much as a statement of fact. "It makes sense even though it doesn't." She turned back to Edward, "But why couldn't you hear me when I was trying to make you at the hotel?"

"When?" His voice was guarded.

"In the parking lot before Alice dragged us shopping."

"Is that what you were doing?" The guard dropped and was replaced with a dark humor. "I thought you were finally afraid of me."

"Why would I be afraid of you?" She asked looking at him intently.

"Because I kidnapped you?"

"I helped."

"My family threatened to hurt you?"

"But you protected me."

"I almost killed you myself!" Edward shouted.

"When?" Bella looked taken aback.

"That first day in Biology", Again the scarlet cheeks, "You remember, don't you?" She nodded. "Or when I tried to save you from the van, I hit your head on the pavement. That could have caused all kinds of damage."

"How do you know?" She answered back. "What are you a doctor or something?"

"Yes" Edward yelled back.

"That's your father Edward, not you." Bella yelled back. "And if you hadn't jumped in front of that van I would be dead." Man she had a little bit of a temper. This got better all the time. "Now I don't know what the hell your problem was that first day or your families problem with me is now but I do know that you have saved me every chance you got so don't tell me that I should be afraid. Cause I'm not!"

They were staring each other down, Edward never slowing down during their little disagreement. I looked through the future again and saw that this could go on for hours. I made a decision and the timeframe cleared. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to block Edward that time and he saw it as soon as I did.

"Alice, no" He yanked his eyes from Bella to look at me.

"She knows too much Edward." I told him. I heard Bella gasp and she turned to me wide eyed.

"Are you going to kill me now?" She asked in a shaking voice. "Because I won't say anything. You don't have to worry about that. Besides even if I wanted to who would believe me? So there's no reason to…."

"I'm not going to kill you Bella." I rolled my eyes at her. "And I'm a little offended that Edward you trust completely but me you keep waiting to do you in." I huffed. "You're my sister and my bestest best friend. I would never hurt."

She looked down and then looked back up at me. "Sorry Alice. I guess you're right. You have been nothing but kind and super generous and I shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion."

"Thank you." I smiled at her. You just can't stay mad at your best friend. "What I was going to tell you is that you were wrong."

"I was" She breathed out, her face falling. Edward tensed knowing what I was about to say next.

"We can't hear each other's thoughts." I told her. "Or at least I can't hear Edward's. But you were right that he can hear mine and that I'm something of a psychic." She didn't say anything but her eyes never left mine. "Edward can hear the thoughts of people around him and I can see the course that people are on." _Speaking of Edward, we still need to stop soon._

"But why didn't you hear me?" She looked back at him. "Was I doing something wrong?" She blushed yet again. "What all have you heard?"

Edward looked back at me and I nodded that it would be okay. "I can't hear you Bella." He said softly.

"What?"

"I can hear everyone but you." He looked at her then.

"Is there something wrong with me?"

I laughed out loud and saw the smile on Edward's face mimic mine. "He tells you he can hear voices and you think there's something wrong with you?" I couldn't stop laughing.

"Happy to entertain you." She mumbled.

"Oh don't be upset" I nudged her lightly from behind. "It's just not the normal response."

"I threw out normal in regards to you guys two states ago." She smiled at me and all that did was start me laughing all over again.

"Bella, you are amazing." I said when I could catch a breath. "I don't think anyone would handle this as well as you have."

"You're probably right" She stopped and smiled at me bigger. "Actually you would definitely be right considering you can see the future."

I laughed some more. "It doesn't quite work like that."

"Oh" Her face fell. "How does it work?"

"I can see the course people are on based on the decisions they make." I tried to think of a good way to explain it. "For example, I could see you and Edward in this car driving down the highway but I didn't know what prompted it. I generally have to go back and search for the decision. But if you had said no when he showed up or he had decided not to stop then the future that I saw would have disappeared. Does that make sense?"

"It does, I think." She mulled that over for a second. "Is that how you know my mom will be in Florida?"

"Yes" I nodded. "I can't see her very well, probably because I don't know her, but when Edward was just going to put you on a plane to Arizona I saw you sitting alone until you flew out to Florida to meet her."

"Oh" She was biting her lip but then stopped to glare at Edward. "You were going to put me on a plane to Arizona alone? After everything that you told me?"

He stared at her again. "I was trying to protect you."

"But what if your family had come after me?" She asked. "What if they too knew that I was all alone in Arizona?"

"Oh they can't see the future." I assured her. "That's just me and Edward is the only one that can hear thoughts."

"You two realize that this doesn't make any sense, right?" She bit her lip again. "Generally people can't hear people's thoughts and see the decision that they are going to make."

"No" I stopped her. "I can't see the decision you are going to make. I can just see the outcome."

She rolled her eyes at me. "It's still different."

"Bella" I spoke in my most understanding voice. "I know it's a lot to process but if you can just trust us as you have been it will all make sense in the end. I promise."

She looked between the two of us and then sighed. "Okay Alice, I'll trust you."

"Great" I smiled at her. _See_, I said to Edward, _I told you it would work out._

"Hey" Bella snapped. "Now that I know no more private conversations." She pointed between the two of us. "It's rude."

We both laughed that time because she sounded so much like Emmett. He always hated when someone would start talking to Edward and he couldn't hear. The irony was that he did it probably more than any of the rest of us.

"Okay no more private conversations" I winked_. She doesn't have to know._

"I saw that" She narrowed her eyes at me.

"You really are perceptive aren't you?"

"Maybe I have a few super powers of my own." She laughed.

"Of that I have no doubt." I mumbled.

"Did you see something?" She sounded more excited than anything else.

"No" I told her. "No more than usual."

"Oh" There it was again. _Why does her voice always fall when on things she should be happy about?_

"I don't know." Edward whispered.

Bella cleared her throat. "I'm I going to have to separate you two." She was smiling as she said it. "Maybe but Alice back in the trunk?"

We all laughed at that thought although Edward and I were laughing for a different reason. Bella would be in for a bigger surprise if she tried to lift me to put me in a trunk. She would break her back trying.

"Alright Bella" I agreed. "I won't do it anymore."

"Good" She turned to Edward. "And you, are you sure you can't read my mind?"

"I'm positive." He told her. "Not for lack of trying." He mumbled and I knew that she wouldn't hear that.

"What am I thinking now?" She stared at him.

"That we're all insane." He answered.

Her breath caught and her mouth opened wide. "You lied" She whined. "You can read my mind."

"No, but it was the only thought that made any sense." He smiled at her and she blushed again.

"Want to guess what I was thinking then?" _Was she flirting with him?_

"God, I hope not" Edward answered my thought but his voice was surprisingly sad or at least surprising to everyone else maybe. Me I knew what was to come.

"Not even close" Bella smiled and stuck her tongue out at him before going back to her email.

I laughed again. Definitely a cake walk, whatever in the world that meant.

**AN: She knows, she knows!! Again I hope you liked this week's installment. Such fun and I can't wait to hear what you think. Did I reveal too much too soon? Should I have held out longer before letting Bella in on the secret? Let me know by pressing that little review button. See ya next week.**

**Ps. I have a new website coming soon. I will let you know when it's ready to go. I am hoping to have lots of interesting things on there like reviews for other fanfictions, updates on what I am working on, playlist for my stories, favorite quotes from the stories also, and pictures for places in my stories. So if you have any suggestions for songs or quotes or fanfictions I should check out be sure to leave them in your review or send me a message and I will get back to you. And I will keep you posted with more information soon.**


	9. Chapter 8: My Life

**CHAPTER 8: MY LIFE**

_Edward POV_

"Bella, I need you to us a big favor." I was staring out the window not wanting Bella to see the look of shame on my face. I didn't know where Alice's vision had come from or why now but I knew that it must mean that I wasn't doing as well as I thought.

"What Edward?" Her softly spoken words made my breath catch just slightly. How after everything could she still sound so trusting?

"I need you to stay here and lock all the doors after Alice and I leave." This was so embarrassing. That I had to leave her on the side of the park all alone just to hunt so I wouldn't kill her; Alice didn't even see me making it to a hotel.

"Where are you going?"

I couldn't answer that. "Just around the park to find an appropriate hotel." I lied. I hated lying to her. I looked back at her for one moment and saw that she was looking at me. Those brown eyes held me for so long that I knew she could tell that I was lying. I waited to see the hurt on her face but it never came.

"Would that be faster than driving?" She blushed scarlet. "Never mind" She was shaking her head as if answering her own question. "Just hurry back." Those eyes stayed just as trusting as before and I had never in all my years felt more a monster. I didn't deserve the trust that she willingly gave me but I seemed to be too selfish not to want it. What was it about this beautiful creature that resurrected the monster buried inside and the man buried even deeper.

"We will" I told her getting out and letting Alice follow. I locked the door behind me and we took off walking until we were sure we were far enough away that Bella wouldn't see us in the dark. I kept my eyes on her until she disappeared worried that something, anything, could happen to her.

_She'll be okay_, Alice reassured me.

"But anything could happen to her Alice." I protested. "She's in a car on the outskirts of a park all alone." I let my mind wonder as we ran. "Not just things like us but stupid human things like muggers or rapist. I use to hunt those kinds of minds and I know that the position we left her in is ideal for them."

_I don't see anything happening to her_, Alice let me know. _I just see her going to sleep._

"Are you sure?"

_Yes Edward_, she smiled at me. _She'll be safe until we get back._

"We should have at least taken her to a hotel." I was shaking my head. "Who knows what she thinks of us now."

_It will be fine, don't worry so much._

I didn't say anymore but that didn't mean that I stopped. There were so many things to consider. What if this wasn't a lone event. What if the closer I got to Bella the more the monster came out? The last day and a half I had talked to her normally without having to turn my head to breath and I had been able to ride with the window up so that I wasn't freezing her to death. Yet here I was leaving her in a dangerous position just so that the monster didn't win.

Would there ever be a time that I could just be around her without hearing him? And why did I want that so bad? Was it just because she was the only human that had ever presented such a challenge or was there more? If I could simply read her thoughts like all the rest of them would I care? Would I be as intrigued as I was now? Would I have left my family just to protect her? I was confused and so much more. All these years of listening to their ramblings and internal questions and thinking I was above such things and now I knew that I wasn't because I hadn't felt this human since 1918.

_Edward focus_, Alice was drawing my attention back to why we were here. _The sooner we hunt the sooner we can get back to Bella._

I appreciated the way that Alice was making this about the two of us when we both knew it was just me. It wasn't her arms wrapped around Bella draining the life out of her in the vision. She was reaching for the steering wheel in an attempt to save her. No, this was all about me.

_Edward are you paying attention at all_, she was standing beside me. _You just let an elk walk right past you._

"Sorry Alice" I hadn't smelled it at all.

_She's fine Edward_; Alice knew exactly where my head was. _Let's go a little deeper._

I tried to clear my head and let my instincts take over but I was still worried that we were too close to Bella. I sniffed the air to make sure and there was no smell of her here but there were others that although not as tempting would work for the evening. I took off after the lion that I hadn't expected to find and had my fill. I should have gone back to Alice after that but I smelled an elk and another lion and decided it would be better to be over full than not full enough.

I had just finished covering my meal when I heard Alice running toward me_. Edward_, her face drawn, _go._ I saw it then. Bella in the car; screaming as if someone was attacking her. I took off not bothering to check if Alice was behind me or not. I knew I was faster and I had to get to Bella. I had to and I would destroy whatever was hurting her. Whoever or whatever it was didn't stand a chance. I wasn't concerned if Bella saw and realized that I wasn't human or not, no one was going to touch her.

I didn't slow even when I could see the car. I scanned the area but saw nothing. Then I heard it. The whimpers growing louder and louder. It was a dream. Whatever was scaring her was a dream. How was I supposed to fight that? I rushed to the car pressing the unlock button on the key remote as I reached the door. The scream came right before I reached in and Bella jerked upright.

"Bella" I didn't know if I had finally scared her or if her scream came from the dream.

"Edward?" She was breathing heavily but her eyes were clearing up and then she burst into tears. "Oh Edward."

I didn't think. Different instincts took over, instincts that I didn't know I still possessed, and I pulled her out of the car wrapping my arms around her. I sat down on the ground with her in my lap trying to calm her the best that I could. The monster inside demanded to taste her but the man that I had forgotten existed held him back. I rocked her slowly not wanting to frighten her anymore and whispered words that I hoped were soothing to her.

"Bella, what happened?" I needed to know if it was us leaving her alone.

"I couldn't find you." She whimpered. "In my dream I couldn't find you." She held me closer. It felt as if she was using all her strength to keep me there. "I couldn't find you."

"I'm right here" I told her. "I'm right here and you're safe."

She leaned back and again those pools of liquid chocolate held me. They reached inside to places that lay dormant and shine light to them; called them back to life. "I know" she whispered and then laid her head back against my chest.

I sat there for minutes humbled by her faith. I continued to hold her knowing that I should let go but I couldn't. Cause for the first time in a hundred and nine years the monster and the man wanted the same thing. They both wanted Bella.

"Edward" Alice ran up behind me. "She's okay, right?"

"Yes, she's okay." I assured her. I was rubbing her back scared to put her down. I could tell by her breathing that she had fallen back to sleep but what if I put her back in the seat and she had another nightmare. I wasn't sure I could take more of her screams.

"Find a hotel" I motioned to the car and handed Alice the keys. She looked at me wide eyed but went around to the driver's side. I should have known she would be surprised. I never let anyone drive the Vanquish but there was no way that I was putting Bella down until she was safe and soundly tucking into a warm bed.

I rose up without jarring Bella and sat in the passenger seat. I was glad that she had put the seat back because that was the only way that we both fit. Alice started driving as soon as the door was closed. I paid little attention to where she was going. I was keeping my focus on the angel resting quietly against me.

This was wrong. Whatever I was feeling toward her was wrong. Just sitting her with her could get to be too much, too soon. I was endangering her life. Hadn't the emergency stop just proven that? So why couldn't I let her go? Why hadn't I handed her off to Alice, who obviously had better control around her, and went back to Forks? Why was I still here and holding her no less?

"It's sticky" Bella whispered. "Too hot"

_What did she just say_, Alice asked me. _What's sticky and hot?_

"I don't know" I had no answer for her.

"Green in the dark" Bella kept going. "Way to green."

"Bella" Alice called out to her but she said nothing in acknowledgement. _Does she talk in her sleep?_

My answer was the same. "I don't know" but wouldn't it be great if I could get a look into her mind through her dreams. Finally a way to see some part of what she was thinking.

We pulled into a hotel a little bit later. I let Alice go in and register since this was one of those places where the rooms were outside. She came back with two keys and drove around to where both rooms were. I got out cradling Bella and followed Alice to the door. It wasn't the worst hotel, or should I say motel, that we had stayed in but it wasn't far off.

_Sorry Edward_, Alice whined. _It was the closest._

"It's okay." I was moving to lay Bella on the bed. "We'll only be here tonight." I didn't want her in some place this cheap for too long.

_Wait Edward_, Alice yelled. _Don't put her down yet._

"Why?"

_Who knows when they changed these sheets last_, she shuttered. _Let me put down one of our blankets._ She buzzed around the bed and had it stripped in no time. The blanket down seconds later.

I placed Bella lightly on the bed but she wouldn't let go. I reached around to disentangle her hands but she balled them into fist. "Don't" She protested in her sleep.

I had never been so torn. I didn't want to hurt her but I couldn't move away from her when she so obviously wanted me there. "Alice?"

I saw her eyes move. _You'll be fine_, she smiled and went to the window_. Stay here and I'll go get rid of our room._ She ran outside and then came back with another blanket placing it over Bella so she wouldn't get cold and left again.

I laid down next to her letting the warmth from her body seep into mine. Who was she and why did she make me want to be better? Make me want to be worthy of her trust? She snuggled up against me as if I wasn't the hideous monster that I knew lurked inside. Like the cold of my skin and the hardness of my body was comforting. She laid against me like I was a man. Just an ordinary, boring, human man and wants more is that was all I wanted to be. I wanted to be everything that she thought I was but I couldn't be.

"Edward" She moved somewhat.

"I'm right here." I whispered in her ear.

She moved her head and looked up with those incredible eyes, "Stay", and then she closed them and snuggled closer.

In that moment I wasn't the same. After a century stuck in stone something had finally changed me. This small, fragile, slip of a girl had changed me and I knew that I would never be the same.

All the doubt and confusion were gone; replaced by an emotion that was as strong as it was never ending. It knocked the breath out of my body and shook me to my core. It jumpstarted a heart that had been dead longer than it had ever lived and it rocketed it from my body to hers. It pulled a man from a darken corner to a burning sun.

It was the first time I had ever been really grateful for my immortality, because no human could hold this much emotion. If I had still been just a man I would have crumbled under the weight of it. I closed my eyes letting it settle into all that I was. There was a rightness about it. As if it explained away everything. Every action, every thought, everything that had lead to this moment; to this girl. This angel lying quietly in my arms.

_She was my life now._

She was everything that I would ever want or need in this existence. If the world stopped turning tomorrow it would mean nothing to me as long as I still had her beside me but if I were to hurt her tomorrow I would die with her.

Years of walking along side my kind and hers and never had I once thought this might be waiting for me. Not with Rosalie, not with Tanya, not with anyone and yet this one person with desirable blood and an amazing, giving heart had captured mine.

How was I supposed to let her go now? I was taking her to Florida to be with her mother where she would be safe. Safe from my family; safe from me but the thought of never seeing her again burned worse than the flames of thirst her blood caused in my throat. There was no way that I could ever let her go.

But what then? Turn around and go back? Try to explain to Chief Swan that it was all a horrible mistake. Tell my family that I love her and then what? Court her like any other normal boy. Resist her for the next seventy years or beg my father to change her so that I would never have to lose her. Yet if I love her shouldn't I want what was best for her. Shouldn't I want her happy and safe and away from the dangers that I would only bring to her life? The answer was yes but I couldn't make myself understand it.

Could I protect her? Could I keep her and protect her and make sure that she never wanted for anything? Human life went by so fast and emotions changed so quickly. I knew that my feelings would never change no matter how long I walked this earth but what if some day the words uttered by Bella were not stay but go. Could I respect her decision?

Was there ever a vampire put in this position?

"Edward?" Alice opened the door. "I went and got food too just in case she woke up hungry."

I wanted to tell her but I couldn't find the words yet. I was sure that she had seen my change. I was sure that it was written all over me. That anyone walking down the street would be able to see that I was somehow new. I wondered if in the moment that truth settled all around me Alice had seen a hundred different futures lay out before me. Did she see one with Bella? Could she answer all the new questions my love had brought up?

"Alice?"

_Yes_, she was sitting across the room on a blanket on the floor with her laptop.

I said the only think I could think. "I love her."

_I know_, she whispered even in her mind.

"What do I do?"

_What do you want to do?_

I looked down at this angel that heaven had sent to save me from hell and I smiled. "What I want and what is right might not be the same thing."

_Maybe_, she agreed, _or maybe you can't see the big picture yet. Maybe you don't have all the information._

"Tell me?" I asked never taking my eyes off Bella. If this were the only night that I got to hold her, the only night I had to feel like a man instead of a monster, I wanted to make sure that I would remember every minute of it.

_I can't. Not because I don't want to but because some things you have to learn on your own._

"I can't hurt her" I let her know.

_You won't_, she sounded confident.

"I need to be sure"

_Search for the bloodlust within_, she suggested. _See if you can still feel it?_

I let part of my mind go, holding tightly to the part that wouldn't hurt Bella, and searched. I listened for the monster that had been so loud just an hour ago but I heard nothing. I inhaled deeply letting Bella's alluring scent saturate my senses and again nothing. I could feel the burn in my throat but no venom pooled in my mouth. There was no pull to her other than as a man. The only desire I felt was to pull her closer and rest my lips against hers.

"I can't feel him" I said in awe.

_She's safe_, I could feel the smile in Alice's words. _And trust me. When the time comes you will know what to do._

"Are you sure?" I wanted to believe her.

"I'd bet on" She laughed. "And you know what they say."

No one bet against Alice and I hoped I wouldn't be the first to start.

**AN: Okay so I know that there are like a number of hotels around Yellowstone National Park and most of them are probably really nice but for this I needed them outside in the beginning and in a not so nice motel in the end. Besides knowing Alice it could have been a great motel and because it wasn't designer sheets she still would have thought it was shabby :).**

**I loved writing this chapter. It's never easy getting Edward to the point where he recognizes his feelings but it's always so rewarding when he gets there. Let me know what you thought.**

**Don't make me blue; please review :).**


	10. Chapter 9: Missing You

**CHAPTER 9: MISSING YOU**

_Edward POV_

The last two days had been the best of my whole life; human or vampire. I had spent every moment being as close to Bella as possible. I had asked every question I could think of and I still had so many more to go. I wanted to know as much about her as I could before I had to leave her.

I still wasn't sure that I could do it; that I would be strong enough to let her go but I knew that I was going to have to try. She deserved all that life had to offer and I would only hold her back. There were so many things that I couldn't give her and she should be with someone without my limitations.

It made me want to scream. Realizing that I was in love with her only made me want to give her everything; not just everything that I could but everything in the world. She talked about how excited she was when her father gave her that old beat up truck and I thought of all the different newer cars I could get her. She talked about how much she had thought about getting her GED so that she could travel with her mom and Phil and it just made me want to take her around the world. Everything she mentioned sparked a reaction in me. Someway that I could give her something tangible so that she would never forget me but I tried to not let myself think about that.

However, that didn't stop me from having a new attitude toward this trip. I threw myself into all of it relishing every minute that Bella was here. Every laugh, every smile I wanted to remember for eternity. Whenever we stopped now I jumped at having pictures. My memory was perfect but if I could have something of Bella to hold onto in the end then I would take it. I would take it and wrap my heart around it and hope that it would be enough to get me through.

The added bonus was that Bella seemed to be enjoying this trip more too. It was like she had let go of whatever had her stressed and going with whatever happened. Maybe it was knowing that we had extra gifts or having some of the mystery behind us revealed. Either way I didn't care as long as she was happy. I would do anything that made her happy.

When we had rushed out to take pictures by Old Faithful she had jumped into my arms as the geyser exploded. There was no surprise this time or worry about losing control. My only thought besides how good she felt was just to be gentle. The last thing I would want was to crush her while trying to hold her. We had of course done more shopping in Yellowstone, where Bella had complained because I paid, thanks to Alice and then headed on our way. We made it to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse memorial before Alice let us know to call it a night. She had booked us to ride this train that was supposed to be from the 1880's for in the morning and she wanted Bella to be well rested.

We naturally went hunting. Just because I couldn't feel the monster inside anymore didn't mean that I was going to give him any reason to come back. Alice rented two rooms but I stayed with Bella. I didn't hold her again as I wanted to but I just listened to her talk. She talked about her mom and worried about her dad. The guilt that I felt for taking her away from him intensified. But as if she knew what I was feeling she said my name and all guilt and worry and everything else faded away. In that breath my dead heart beat again and my mind focused on nothing but my love for her.

This morning I was worried about this train trip but Alice assured me that there would be no chance of sun. Product of traveling during the coldest part of the year she called it. Still there were so many reasons this sounded like a bad idea. First it was one of the few things that we had done during the day that wasn't indoors and second I had seen the brochure and there were no windows. All it would take would be one errant cloud to move at the wrong time and Bella would see. She would see and she would scream and run and my heart would be lost forever. I wouldn't stop her because I would want her to be safe but it would hurt less to be pulled apart and burned then to have to watch her go.

"What are you thinking about all by yourself?" The object of my existence said sitting beside me. I still wasn't use to not knowing when she was coming or the fact that she always sat closer than humans normally would. There was no fear in her at all. This was something I was both glad and concerned for.

"Just waiting for you" I skirted the question. I couldn't tell her that I was trying to make sure that she didn't see me in the sun.

"Oh" She didn't say anything more for a so long that I, like always, wondered what she was thinking.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

"That this is weird" She was looking down at her shoes.

Had she figured out the rest? Would this be my last moment with her? "What is weird?"

"That we are going out in the middle of the day." Her eyes still didn't move. "We don't really do that."

"No we don't" I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't really tell her the real reason that we didn't go out. There was no way that she would understand and I would lose her that much sooner.

"Are you nervous?" She asked.

I looked down at her but didn't know what to say. What was it that she knew? She was such a perceptive little thing. "Why would I be nervous?"

She shrugged and then looked up. "I guess it doesn't matter." She smiled. "It's not like Alice wouldn't see if something would happen." She really had taken everything that she knew so well. "And" She looked back down. "It will be nice to spend the day with you."

Did she not know what she did to me when she said things like that? How much it made me hope? How much it made me not want to let her go?

"Yes, it will." I put my arm around her remembering to be as gentle as possible. She leaned into my side and rested her head on my shoulder. I sighed without any thought enjoying having her here with me.

"No questions?" She asked.

"Excuse me?"

"The last two days you have been none stop questions." I felt the heat from her blush. "I was just wondering if you were done."

I chuckled. "Hardly" if she only knew how many questions I had left. I could spend the rest of eternity asking her questions and never get tired of her answers. But I couldn't let myself think like that. I had to let her go.

"Do I ever get to ask any?" She pulled back and looked up at me.

I wanted to tell her yes. I wanted to answer every question that she had but I knew that I couldn't. I couldn't tell her the truth. It would be too dangerous for her and the last thing I ever wanted was to put her in more danger. As it was Rosalie and Jasper where after her because they thought she saw too much. What would they do if they knew that she knew everything?

But looking into her amazingly deep eyes I knew that I couldn't lie to her. I couldn't want her trust and then betray it by telling her the lie that we had feed everyone for decades. So where did that leave me? I couldn't tell her the truth and I couldn't lie to her.

"What would you like to ask?" I heard myself say because more than anything I could deny her nothing.

Her eyes widened and she smiled at me. How could I not love her when she was so radiant? "Do you miss your family?"

Was that it? "Of course, I miss them." I smiled at her.

"Do you wish they were here?"

Were these the type of questions that she was going to ask? "Some of them; maybe all" As much as I would like to still be angry at Rosalie and Jasper for their feeling toward Bella I couldn't. I understood their concern and if it wasn't for my thinking that they would attack her I wouldn't be here with her now. Besides, I loved my family and after almost a century traveling with them I knew that they were lots of fun to travel with. I wouldn't trade my time with Bella for them but I would have enjoyed if it could be all of us and including Bella.

"I'm sorry." She looked back down.

"Why?"

"I'm taking you away from your family." She whispered. "That's not right."

Was she kidding? I was the one that had taken her away from her family and she thought that this was her fault. "Bella" I lifted her chin slowly. "This isn't your fault. My family will be just fine until I get back."

"But you should be with them." She kept on.

"And I will be but I wouldn't change this time with you." I wanted to tell her how much she meant to me but I didn't want to scare her. "I'm glad that I'm here with you."

"Me too" Her lips beckoned mine and I lowered my head, human instincts taking over.

"Are you two ready?" Alice bounded into the hotel lobby as if she had interrupted nothing.

Bella pulled away from me with the loveliest maroon on her face. "Sure are."

I personally growled at Alice. I purposefully kept it low so that I Bella wouldn't hear me. _Sorry Edward but you're not ready for that and I wouldn't want you to hurt her. You would never forgive yourself if you did._

She was right. What had I been thinking? I couldn't kiss Bella. What if she came in contact with my teeth? What if I had lost control? I could have bitten her without thinking about it. I was just feeling guilty because she hadn't seen her father and mother in little over a week. How would I feel if she couldn't see them for the rest of eternity? I could have destroyed her life in one thoughtless act just by trying to show her how I felt.

I shook my head in despair. I couldn't ever kiss her. This was why I needed to let her go. She was beautiful and compassionate and warm and the most caring person I had ever met. She deserved nothing but the best. Someone that could hold her hand without worrying that he was going to crush the bones; someone that could be honest with her and not hold his breath when she began to ask question about him; someone that could kiss her and it not be a hazard. I hated that person with more passion than I had ever felt.

_Edward calm down_, Alice might not be Jasper but she had been with me long enough that she could tell my emotions almost as well as he could. _I didn't say you could never kiss her as your probably thinking. All I said was that it was too soon. You weren't thinking and to be with Bella that way you have to have your mind about you. That's all. _

She smiled as she continued talking to Bella who wasn't paying any attention to our introspective conversation. _Trust me; you'll know when the time is right._ I could see Bella and I in a place I had never seen before but we were in each other's arm and her lips were pressed to mine. I didn't look as if I was about to lose control or anything and Bella looked as if I was doing things right.

I smiled to myself. I had never kissed a girl before. Never thought about it until a few minutes ago and there hadn't been any thought in what I had been about to do, but I took comfort in the fact that it appeared that I was doing it right. That Bella was happy to be kissing me.

"We better get going" Alice pulled me out of my thoughts. "We have a little bit of a drive and I don't want to be late. Also I was thinking that we could stop at a few of the antique stores there before the train ride."

"You know Alice; my trunk is only so big." I reminded her.

"I spent to two hours in it Edward" She snapped at me. "Of course I know exactly how big it is." She stuck her tongue out at me and Bella laughed.

"Then you must know that we are going to run out of room if you don't stop buying things."

"But Esme loves antiques" She went on. "And if I ship them to the house then they won't take up as much space."

"And are you going to" I asked. I hadn't seen her ship anything.

"I actually sent a few things last night." She looked pointedly at me. "While you were busy." _With Bella_, she added in her head.

"What did you do last night?" Bella looked at me curiously.

It was a good think I was raised that you don't hit women because I could have smacked my sister right then. "Aren't we going to be late?" I ask taking Bella's hand and rushing to the car.

_Nice change of subject Edward_, Alice sounded smug as she followed behind us.

She didn't say anything else and neither did Bella. She looked up at me every once in a while but mostly she watched the sky. I didn't know what she was looking for and I wanted to ask but after avoiding her question I didn't feel right pressing mine.

We made it to three antique stores and naturally Alice found something in each of them. We walked through the town and I was relieved that the day was still overcast. I wanted to reach for Bella's hand and stroll with her as if we were here on a date but I didn't want to seem forward. She was so shy around everyone yet around me she opened up more. I didn't want to let myself hope that she could return my feeling even a little but just that thought filled me with a different kind of warmth.

By the time we made it to the train I had mostly relaxed about the weather. Alice was never wrong when it came to the forecast and if she had seen anything change we wouldn't be here. We picked up our tickets and waited for the boarding to start.

It was funny standing there looking at something from another century when I was a century old myself. I didn't remember this train but I did remember a train similar to it. It was a vague and foggy memory of my human life. A summer trip with my parents to the coast. It had taken longer than this trip would have even if I was driving the normal speed limits and we didn't keep stopping. I laughed to myself. The train ride had been longer than the vacation but it had been a happy memory and I was glad that I still had it.

"I wish Jasper could be here." Alice said wistfully. She hadn't mentioned Jasper in a few days and I had wondered how she was doing with that. Although Rosalie and Emmett were the more physically expressive of our family Alice and Jasper's love I always thought ran deeper. I didn't know if it was due to the fact that Jasper could feel Alice's emotions and project his feelings back to her or what but they just seemed to be connected on a deeper level than any of my other family members.

"You miss him?" Bella went to sit by her and put her arm around Alice's hard little shoulder. I saw Alice lay her head on Bella's arm as if seeking the comfort that Bella offered.

"Yes" She said quietly. "I don't do so well without him." She smiled. "But that wasn't what I was thinking about."

"No?" Bella questioned.

"No" Alice assured her and I had to hold back a laugh. "I was think he should be here because he could tell us if this train is really authentic or not."

"Is he into history?" Bella asked really curious.

"Something like that." Alice chuckled. "He's very into the Civil war era."

"Well, you could always take a lot of pictures and he could let you know when you get back." Bella tried to help.

"That's true." She got up and smiled. "Thanks Bella" She walked to the front of the train and started snapping away.

"That was very nice of you." I told her taking Alice's seat.

"I just wanted to help." She was watching Alice flit around with her camera. "She's been so nice to me and there's no way I could ever repay her generosity."

"She's not looking for you to repay it." I didn't want her to think that we were here simply because of guilt.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you expecting me to repay your generosity?" She was staring right into my eyes; my heart.

"There's nothing to repay." I answered. "Everything I've done I would do again just to spend time with you."

I felt the instincts again. The pull toward her that had nothing to do with her scent or her blood. I could see Alice's vision in my head and I wanted to make it this place although I knew that it wasn't. I listen to my mind to see if the monster within had returned but I heard nothing. I kept my mind on not hurting her and I lowered my head again determined to kiss her this time.

"Their boarding." Alice popped up between us and I let out another growl toward her. "Let's go, let's go." She pulled Bella up from the seat toward the train.

I saw Bella look back and she looked just as upset as I felt. I smiled deeply at that thought. She had wanted me to kiss her. That was a good sign. Now that I knew that I would find a way to share my first kiss with Bella. Even if I had to lock my sister back in the trunk.

_I saw that Edward_, Alice told me. _Keep that up and I'll never leave you alone with Bella._

Yes, definitely locking her back in the trunk.

**AN: There you have it. So far, so good. Now all they have to do is have that first kiss and things will be right on schedule or will they? Just have to wait until next week to find out. I also have a question. I have been doing double posting once a week for awhile now and I was curious to see how everyone still felt about it. Would you like me to keep posting two chapters once a week or would you rather I posted one chapter twice a week? Let me know in your reviews or send me a private message. Either way thanks for continuing to read and hopefully enjoy.**

**Don't make me blue; please review.**


	11. Chapter 10: Surprise Everyone

**CHAPTER 10: SURPRISE EVERYONE**

_Bella POV_

This was the most relaxed I had been since we left Forks. We were all sitting around the hotel room doing absolutely nothing. Well, not nothing but not running around the city to every attraction or store that Alice could find. We were just enjoying the evening. Alice was doing something on her laptop and Edward and I were playing cards. It was fun in a no hurry sort of way.

I had just laid down my last card and was about to call gin when Edward stiffened and Alice looked up smiling.

"They're here, they're here." She sang in her wind chime voice and ran to the door. Edward hissed and jumped up to stand in front of me. "Oh Edward, she's fine." Alice called over her shoulder looking out the open door.

"Who's here?" I asked standing behind him not quite nervous but not as relaxed as before.

"Emmett and Jasper" He managed to get out between his teeth.

I didn't mean to shutter but I couldn't help it. I knew that Jasper was one of the main threats to my health and Emmett was simply big. I ducked my head behind him so that I was completely hidden but then I realized that I couldn't see anything so I let my eyes wander up just in time to see Alice start jumping up and down.

"Jazz" She called.

I heard someone yell "Alice" and then he was right in front of her. They didn't hug and kiss like you would expect but just stood there holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. It was beyond intimate and I felt wrong watching and a little jealous. The emotion across Jaspers face was so intense and I found myself wishing that Edward would look at me that way. Hoping against hope that he could feel some portion for me of what Jasper so obviously felt for Alice.

"I missed you" I heard her whisper and then she was in his arms. The rest of Forks can say what they want about this family but no one could deny how much in love those two were and how right it was.

"Yeah, yeah" I heard a booming voice before Emmett filled the door. "Leave me alone to bring up all the luggage. Let the big guy do it." He was laughing as he pushed them aside dropping bags inside the door.

"And you" He turned to Edward and I clung just a little bit closer to him. "I should kick your ass." He punched him lightly in the gut. "Running off like that and leaving me for weeks with nothing to do but calm Rosie down. Man, it's a good thing we took off to Denali or I would ship you back now just so she could rip your head off."

"It was necessary" Edward got out without relaxing his stance.

"No it wasn't." Emmett informed him. "If you had just waited until we got home like I told you then you wouldn't have had to run off and kidnap the Chief of police's daughter with our sister in tow." He looked serious for the first time since walking in. "I told you Carlisle would never let her get hurt."

He leaned down so that we were eye to eye and spoke to me with a huge smile on his face. "I'm Emmett by the way. Edward's cuter and more lovable older brother." He winked at me. "You can call me Em."

I wanted to laugh at him but I was still slightly nervous about why they were here. "Nice to meet you."

"You too" He stood back up and went to lounge on the bed. "So what have you fugitives been up too?"

"Oh Emmett we have had so much fun" Alice bounced back into the room never letting go of Jasper. Edward relaxed some sitting in the seat he had been in before they arrived but pulling me into his lap which was perfectly fine with me.

"I wanted to call and have you guys meet us but it wouldn't have gone so well with Bella in the beginning." Alice looked over at me.

"You don't have to worry about us Bella" Jasper spoke very softly and for some reason just his voice calmed me down. I leaned my head against Edward and he put an arm around my shoulder but looked over at Jasper. I didn't understand but I was to lethargic to question.

"Sorry" Jasper whispered.

Alice went back to explaining every place we had been. "We saw a huge potato and Old Faithful. We rode on a train that was from 1880 and I so wanted you there to tell us if it was real or not." She was looking at Jasper who smiled down at her. He hadn't stopped touching her since he arrived. "Then we saw an ice cave and Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore. We also found the land of Oz." She looked at Emmett. "Like in the movie and they had the yellow brick road and everything. We have to come back with Rose to that one. She will love it."

"Yeah my Rosie does love her Wizard of Oz" Emmett was shaking his head.

"Then we also saw Laura Ingalls Wilder's park and the set where they filmed Field of Dreams." She signed. "I so wanted to pitch a few balls in that diamond but it wouldn't have been a good idea."

"Sure" Emmett laughed. "If you had thrown a few out someone might have signed you to the majors."

Everyone laughed but me. I tried to picture little Alice throwing so fast that someone would want her on their team and I couldn't do it. For all that I had guess about their speed that was one thing I couldn't see.

"Then tomorrow Edward is going to show us where he use to live and where Carlisle use to live." Alice looked over at us. "Oh and Emmett in a few more days we'll be in Tennessee and I would love if you would do the same. That is if you would want to go back."

"Are you kidding?" Emmett perked up. "I haven't been in Tennessee since, well since I left Tennessee. I would love to go back." His eyes, which I noticed where darker than Alice and Edwards, lit up. "Matter of fact it might be early yet but I think I could find a bear or two. Make up for that first fight."

"Emmett" Edward voice held some kind of warning.

"Relax bro" Emmett shrugged it off. "After being around the two of you for two weeks she's probably heard way crazier things."

He wasn't wrong about that but it didn't seem to make Edward feel any better. I let my hand move up and down his back hoping that would calm him and it seemed to work. His body wasn't as stiff as before and he looked up at me with a smile and softened honey eyes. They were darker than yesterday but not as dark as they had been before.

"So are the three of you sharing this room?" Emmett looked around. "Cause that would be both weird and kinda freaky."

"No" Alice rolled her eyes. "We have a room down the hall."

"Just one?" Emmett asked.

"Why would we need more than one?" Edward asked him.

He shrugged. "Because pixie here should have been expecting us." He reached over and ruffled Alice's hair. They were such a normal family despite all their non normalness. "And because these two haven't seen each other in quite a while and I'm not staying in the same room while they get it on. Especially when Rosie is thousands of miles away." Emmett looked at us. "And from the look of it, staying with you two would be just as bad." He shuttered.

"You do know you can always go get your own room." Alice informed him. "And just because I saw you joining us didn't mean that I saw which state." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Fine" Emmett hoped up. "Well since we're staying what about the four of us check out the surrounding area." He looked pointedly at Edward and I knew that he was telling him something more.

"The three of you go ahead." Edward's eyes didn't waiver as they met Emmett's. "I'll stay here and keep Bella company; finish our hand of cards."

"You two are playing cards?" Emmett looked shocked. "Who's winning?"

"She's kicking his butt, Em" Alice was holding back a laugh.

"I knew it." Emmett's big laugh filled the room. "I knew you couldn't win without your little talent. You big cheater."

"I'm not cheating." Edward hissed.

"Whatever" He came over and picked me up off Edward's lap and I heard a snarl as he twirled me around. "You are the best" He said putting me down and kissing me on the cheek. "I love my new little sister. We are going to have so much fun." He let me go with a wink and turned to the rest. "Are we going or what?"

"Um, sure" Jasper didn't sound as excited as Emmett. "Edward are you sure you don't want to go?"

He was about to answer but I spoke first. "Go ahead." I added hoping to get him to follow. "I'm tired anyway so I'll just get some sleep."

"Are you sure?" He didn't look convinced.

"Absolutely" I nodded. "You haven't seen your family in a while, go, catch up." I smiled my most innocent smile. I was a horrible liar and the last thing I needed was for him or Alice to figure out what I was up to.

"Okay" He stood. "Both Alice and I will have our cell phones if you need us."

"I'll be fine." I waved him off. They all walked to the door but I remembered one thing that was accentual to my plan. "Oh Edward" He stopped and looked back at me. "Can I borrow the keys to the car? I want to get another blanket."

"I'll get it for you." He pulled out the keys.

"No" I shook my head. I think I might have said it too loud because Emmett and Jasper turned to look at me also. "I don't want to hold you guys up. Never mind" I turned and faced the wall hoping this would work.

"Alright." He walked over and handed the keys to me. "Here you go."

"Thanks" I looked past him to see shocked eyes on all three of his siblings. "I'll just ride down with you guys and get it then come back up."

"Okay" We all walked out together and got in the elevator. I kept my mind focused on getting the blanket and going to sleep. I wasn't completely sure how Alice's power worked but the last thing I needed was for her to see what I was really going to do.

We got out of the hotel and Edward left with his family. I waved goodbye and went to his car. I watched as they watched me get the blanket and go back inside. I stayed there thinking about waiting for the elevator until they started walking to their car and then I followed. I got into Edward's car scared to drive it in case something happened but more determined to put my suspicions to rest. They had rented a huge van or bought one; I didn't put anything past the Cullens. Once they took off I eased Edward's car out and followed behind.

I had never followed anyone but I hoped that as a police officer's daughter maybe it was hereditary. I had to drive faster than I normally would to keep up but I put that aside. I never stopped thinking about getting ready for bed. I imagined myself up in the room and taking a shower. Putting on my pajamas and climbing in. I even threw in some channel surfing for good measure.

They drove to a deserted area which reminded me exactly of when we stopped at Yellowstone. They all got out laughing and joking around and headed into the trees just as I suspected. I had confirmed my suspicions and now I knew that I should turn around and go back but for the life of me I couldn't remember how we got here. I had been so focused on thinking about being in my room and not losing them that I had no idea where I was.

Well, this was just great. Now I would have to wait for them to come back and then follow them back and hope that I could make it up to my room before them. That was a lost cause. With their speed and my clumsiness I would be lucky if I didn't fall right in front of them.

I started thinking of excuses for why I was out. I had gotten hungry. Maybe I had a headache and couldn't sleep and I needed to find a pharmacy. I could always say that I ended up not needing the blanket and went to put it back. I was still trying to come up with some excuse when a movement caught my attention. I looked again but there was nothing. I breathed out the breath I was holding and looked around screaming when I saw the shadow standing beside my window.

The door opened and Edward's not so calm face was all I could see. "What are you doing here Bella?" I heard the edge in his voice. I hadn't heard that tone since we left Forks. "Bella?"

"I…I…." I didn't know what to say. "How did you know I was here?" I looked around for the rest of them but saw no one.

"Alice" He said and that explained it all. Of course, in the moment that I had started to plan how to get back she would have seen that I wasn't in the room at all. I had given myself away without realizing it. "What are you doing here?"

"I followed you." I told him. "But I couldn't remember how we got here."

"Why?"

"I was watching you too much to pay attention to the roads we took." I answered the part that would be the easiest.

"Why did you follow us?"

I didn't want to tell him. Not yet, not when he wouldn't laugh at my theory or could put me on a plane and disappear. I hadn't had enough time with him yet. "Can you just take me back?" I asked not looking at him.

There was hesitation. I could feel it but he didn't say anything. He just stood back so that I could get out of the driver's seat and got in. He drove faster than he had been in most cities we stopped in but I had a feeling that had more to do with his anger over what I had done then with wanting to get back to the hotel. You would think that I would have paid better attention going back but all I could do was watch him.

We pulled into the parking lot and before I could reach for the door handle it was already open. I guess he figured I already knew enough why hide anything. We walked through the hotel in silence and the elevator ride wasn't any better. He followed me to my room and said nothing but came in when I opened the door. Once inside he stood with his back against it which made me think that he was getting ready to run out at any moment.

"Now will you tell me why you followed us?" His voice was calmer but I could still see the tension in his shoulders.

"I wanted to see if I was right." I told him. There was no sense in drawing it out now. If he was going to leave then he was going to leave.

"Right about what?"

I turned my back to him. I couldn't look into his eyes when I said what I knew would sound insane. "I wanted to see if you were looking for animals."

"Why?"

"Research"

"Research?"

"My phone has been very helpful."

"How so?"

This was the part I didn't want to say. "You're incredibly strong and fast. You hear other people's thoughts. We've been together for almost two weeks and I haven't seen you eat anything. You're body is rock hard and ice cold." I paused turning back to face him. If possible he had gotten paler. "I put all those things into the search engine and it came back with only one possibility."

"What?" He breathed.

"I don't want to say it."

"Why?"

I didn't answer. I looked at him waiting for him to give me another reason. To explain away all the thoughts that were running through my mind but he held perfectly still. Like a statue in a museum; he didn't even blink.

"Are you scared?" I heard the catch in his voice and I knew he was nervous about my answer.

"No" I held his eyes letting him see that I trusted him whether I understood or not.

"You should be."

"I'm not" I shook my head. "You won't hurt me."

"Bella" He closed his eyes and slumped against the door. "Bella I could hurt you so easily. You have no idea how hard it is."

"I trust you." I walked closer.

"You shouldn't" He moved closer to me negating what he had just said.

"I trust you." I repeated when I was only a step away.

"Bella, I'm more dangerous to you than anyone else."

"Why?"

"It's your blood" He said the word that I was expecting but didn't want to hear. "It draws me more than anyone else's ever has." He laughed without humor. "If I was a drug addict you would be my own brand of heroin."

I processed that but didn't move. I knew he was waiting. I lifted my hand slowly and let it rest against his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch. That was all it took to erase any thought that I should stay away from him. No matter what he was there was no place on this earth that I wanted to be other than with him.

I took that final step and rose up on my toes. I had never kissed anyone but I pressed my lips to his. I felt his body stiffen with response and then his arms were around me and I was being crushed to his body. Even as he kissed me I could feel that he was holding back. Trying not to hurt me but I didn't care. I wanted every bit of him and so I threw myself into the kiss only to be stopped by him moments later.

"Bella" He breathed. "I can't lose control with you."

"It's okay." I stepped away. "Will you stay with me?"

He nodded yes and I held his hand as I walked around the bed and got in. I would have thought lying in bed with a man would feel awkward or wrong but with Edward it just felt natural; like this was where I belonged. He hummed a song that I had never heard before and kissed my forehead, my hair, my face. He never stopped touching me. It was almost like he was trying to memorize everything about me.

I could feel my eyelids getting droopy and I leaned in closer to him. He reached down and pulled the blanket at the bottom of the bed around me to protect me from his icy skin. I didn't care but I kept my mouth shut. The last thing I wanted was to ruin this moment.

"I love you." I whispered right before I felt myself drift away into oblivion. I had wanted to tell him before but I had forgotten and I didn't want to fall asleep without him knowing.

"I love you too" I heard the most beautiful voice in the world whisper. That was all I would ever need to know. "Sleep well my love." And with that I drifted away.

**AN: Hello everyone. Happy Wednesday. I hope that you are enjoying this week's installment of Kidnapped. We are finally in love, yeah!! And now it's just a question of what are our lovebirds going to do?**

**Just a few notes. I have a new blog and I would love everyone's opinion on it. The address is mztspot (dot) blogspot (dot) com. Please go by and check it out and if you are a blogspot member then become a follower. I have lots of big plans so I would love to have each and every one of you with me.**

**The last thing is that I am on my way out of town so I probably won't get to respond to anyone's reviews until way later than normal (although lately I have been pretty late responding anyway).**

**I think that is it except for the part where I ask you to review but you already know that one :).**


	12. Chapter 11: The Future

**CHAPTER 11: THE FUTURE**

_Emmett POV_

"This is where you use to live?" We were standing outside of what in Edward's day had probably been a mansion.

"Yes, this is where I grew up." Edward answered.

"I didn't know you use to be a Rockefeller" I joked. I knew that Edward had come from a well to do family but I also knew that his wealth was nothing compared to Rosalie's human families wealth and position.

"Funny Em" Edward smiled tightly. "Considering you're with a woman who thinks she still is a Rockefeller."

I just laughed it off. I knew that he was right. It was funny being here with half the family and one human instead of everyone. Carlisle and Esme would have loved this trip down memory lane even with Bella but Rosie would have been livid.

I hadn't been all that honest about how Rose was doing with Edward and Alice yesterday but I knew that between his mind reading and her sightseeing they both knew; Rosalie was still pissed. She wouldn't hurt Bella, at least physically, because Carlisle had forbid it but that wouldn't stop her from making sure Bella was as uncomfortable as possible. Which I would normally say wouldn't be too hard considering that she was a human surrounded by vampires but Bella seemed as at ease as if she was on a tour with all the generic kids from school.

I had never seen a human act so unfazed by what we were. Edward had told us this morning that Bella had figured it out last night which didn't go over great with Jasper but Alice had assured him that everything would be okay and he had let it go. Still it was one thing to know and another to hang in the middle not worried at all. Especially with the way that Edward was drawn to her.

But today it looked like he was more drawn to her body than her blood. He hadn't stopped touching her since she came out of her room and I was surprised that he hadn't gone inside just to say hi before that. In all the decades that we had been together I had never seen him act like such a boy because there was no way that I could call him a man with his behavior. You would think he had never seen a girl before.

I knew that Rosalie had originally been intended for Edward and that didn't bother me. Sure my Rosie was gorgeous but their relationship had always been hard at best and from what Esme had told me it had been like that from the beginning. Then there had been Tanya who had all but paraded herself in front of him naked and again he hadn't made a move. I had started to think that maybe he was gay or something but he never looked at me strangely and I knew I looked good so I put that out of my mind too.

Now here comes Bella and he's like falling all over himself to be near her. For goodness sake, he kidnapped her right out of her home just to keep her away from us and he's rushing to do anything that she mentions. Checking ever second to see if she's hungry, asking if he's holding her hand to tight, if she's too cold, if she's having a good time, if she can put one foot in front of the other. It's a little pathetic.

I heard Edward growl and I laughed. _Well it is_, I thought not wanting the others to hear. The last thing I wanted was to ruin his chances with Bella. Human or not, I could say that I had ever seen him this happy_. Back off her a little and give her some space. You push too hard and you're going to scare her. _

Edward nodded and I could tell that there were no hard feelings. He had to know that I wanted him to be just as happy as Rosalie and I were. I mean he might not be my biological brother but he had been more a brother to me than any of those other five ever had. They had been too old to hang out and play with their younger brother but from the first Edward had taken me under his wing. He had taught me to fight and wrestled with me all the time. He had listened whenever I had an accident and never once made me feel like I had done something wrong even though I knew that I had. Naturally I wanted him to find what the rest of us had.

I didn't understand the human thing though. If he knew that he loved her then why not just change her so that they could be together. This thought earned me another growl.

_I'm sorry but it's true Edward_, I told him. _You're not going to be able to resist her forever and what are you going to do when she gets old and dies. Not to mention that the monk thing is going to get old. You can't really be with her without killing her and trust me; you don't want to miss out on that._ I saw his eyes roll.

They all thought that sex was the only think that I ever had on my mind but it wasn't. I was more worried about what he would do if something happened to her. Not just if he hurt her but if life hurt her. After over seventy-five years on this earth I had seen my fair share of humans come and go. Their life didn't last long and the way that Edward was acting toward Bella I couldn't imagine his reaction if something where to happen to her.

I saw him acknowledge my thoughts but he said nothing and made no sound. He looked down at Bella as if his own world revolved around her. Poor guy. Maybe it would have been better if Jasper and Rosalie had attacked her. He could have rode in and saved her but not before the venom had started to spread and then he wouldn't have to feel so guilty about something happening that he wanted to happen.

His eyes darted to mine and I saw his teeth pull back. _Sorry Edward but it's true. There is no way that you can love her and not what her with you forever. _

Again there was no response to my words except that he turned back to Bella. I didn't want to hurt him anymore with my thoughts so I turned my attention back to the houses we were passing.

_Jasper POV_

I could feel the anger coming off Edward which was strange because he had been so content this morning. I saw a private conversation going on between he and Emmett and I guessed that whatever Emmett was thinking was the cause. Probably something about Edward and Bella in bed together. That was classic Emmett; always thinking about sex. He should be worried about Edward's relationship with Bella.

I didn't understand it and it bothered me. Vampires and humans weren't meant to be together. They weren't supposed to fall in love. There were too many complications; too many ways that she could get hurt; too many ways that we could hurt her.

Just being in the hotel room with her last night had been a challenge. Her scent was powerful. Just thinking about it made me thirsty. Not that I would act on it. Even if Alice wouldn't destroy me, there was no way that I could hurt Edward like that.

I had never felt the emotions coming from him that I have in the twelve hours since we showed up and not just him. What he was feeling was echoed in Bella just as strongly. If I hadn't felt it I wouldn't believe that a human was capable of feelings so strong. At first I thought that I was somehow projecting Edward's feelings toward her. But then I focused on her and realized that what I was sensing was coming straight from her.

I wondered what that meant. I mean if you combined the fact that Edward couldn't hear her and the emotions that I was feeling from her was stronger than humanly possible; was it possible that she was something more? Was it possible that she was destined to be something more? Could she be destined to be one of us?

Edward snapped his head away from Emmett and toward me. I didn't understand what could have upset him. He had to know that was were this was heading. He couldn't possibly think that she could remain human now that she knew. The Volturi would never allow such a thing and there was no way to be sure that they wouldn't find out. If anything it was more imperative that she join us now then it had been before.

He had to understand now that he had someone that meant to him what Alice meant to me. There was no way that he could let her live in danger and without the change she would be in danger. Not just from the Volturi or us but from him. The closer they became the harder it was bound to be for him to resist and even if he never bit her there were so many other ways that he could hurt her. He could crush her just trying to hug her. There was no way that he thought she could remain human.

And yet looking at him I saw that that was exactly what he was thinking. I wanted to grab him and shake some sense into him. How could he consider that this was the best way for her? To leave her vulnerable to all that could conspire against her. The only way to make sure that she was safe, that all of us were safe, was to change her.

Unless….did he plan to leave her in Florida and walk away. I saw him shake his head in agreement. _That's crazy Edward_, I screamed at him. _I've never felt you so content and happy and you are simply going to walk away from that instead of changing her? Do you think that is going to keep her safe? She's been opened to the supernatural world now. No matter whether you are there or not there is still a larger chance that something will happen._

_And are you thinking about how you will handle walking away from her?_ I asked. I knew how he felt knowing what could happen but still. Even if I thought Alice would be safer without me I couldn't leave her. There were some bonds that couldn't be broken. Maybe he didn't understand because he had never felt the pull of vampire love.

Mates needed to be together. We can't survive without the other. Alice hadn't been gone a full two weeks and I was going crazy without her. If he thought that he was going to be able to go back to how he had been before he was wrong. This would eventually destroy him.

That or he would give in and come for her. And when he did then her scent would hit him just as strongly as it had before but this time he might not be able to stop himself. Would he take her then? Could he stop himself before he killed her?

I saw the widening of his eyes and I hated that I had put that thought in his head but he had to understand. Bella was a part of him now and there was no way that he could live without her.

_Alice POV_

"I think I like Carlisle's place better." We had made it to where Edward's human life had ended. This was where Carlisle had found his first member of our family and as I looked at the other four standing beside me I couldn't help but think that now our family was complete. Even without Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie it felt right with Bella here. She had been the missing part. She had been what we needed to reach the happiness that we wanted. She was what was needed to make Edward happy.

I smiled deeply. This was my vision playing out in front of me. Edward smiling and happy and Bella looking just like a reflection of his joy. They were made for each other and it was so good to see them together like this. I had come to cherish Bella not just as a friend but as a sister and to know that I would get to spend eternity with her was just as wonderful as spending it with Jasper and everyone else.

I could just see all the great trips we were going to have together just like this one except that the whole family would be together. We could travel through Europe. I would bet that Bella had never seen all the great places we could take her. We would have to get a new wardrobe for her first of course but after that she would fix right in.

There would be shopping trips and sleepovers when the guys go off hunting. We could do each other's nails and watch movies all night long. I would have someone that I could talk to and really open up to. Not that Rosalie wasn't wonderful or that I couldn't talk to her but I just never felt as close to her as I do to Bella.

And the best part would be Edward. It was so wonderful that my favorite brother was finally happy. If I had known that Bella would make him this happy I would have kidnapped her myself years ago, but why dwell in the past. What was important was the future and we were going to have an amazing one now.

I let my mind wonder searching to see when Bella would become one of us when I saw it. I stopped walking the vision took me so by surprise. I had to be wrong. I looked again and it was the same. Bella curled up on her bed, not moving, her eyes staring blankly at a bare wall. It looked as if she had been in the same position for months maybe longer. I heard the others asking what was wrong but I couldn't say anything. I looked for Edward but he wasn't there. I couldn't find him anywhere so I went back and then I was on my knees. Edward in front of the Volturi, Edward in the sun, the Volturi acting out against him.

This couldn't be. What would prompt such a reaction? Where they going to find out about Bella? I looked at Edward and he was stiffly standing there. "Did you see?" He didn't say anything he just kept looking away.

I went back further searching to see if the Volturi took Edward before Bella could be changed and that was when I saw it.

"_I can't stay with you Bella" Edward's face was hard and distant._

"_Why?" Tears streamed down Bella's face. "Don't you want to be with me?"_

"_Whether I do or I don't isn't the point." He sniped at her. "You're human and therefore don't belong in my world."_

"_Then change me" Bella yelled. "Take me into your world."_

"_NO" Edward barked at her. _

"_Don't you want me?" I could see her heart breaking._

_Edward closed his eyes for one short moment and I could see the pain resonate through his whole body. "No" He whispered, turned and walked away._

I stood up then completely in his face_. You would do that to her_, I couldn't say any of this out loud as I wanted. I wanted to scream at him but I didn't want Bella to know what could be coming. _You would hurt her like that? Leave her like that?_

He didn't say anything. He didn't even do me the courteously of looking down at me. _Who do you think you are to that you can make that kind of decision for her? For me? How dare he take her away from us? She is family now. She is a sister to me. I love her too and I will not stand by and watch as you destroy both your lives. I don't care if I have to change her myself._

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING" he roared at me. I saw Jasper take a step toward me and Emmett stand in front of Bella. Neither of them knew what Edward might do when he was this angry but I didn't care. I had seen him do the worst thing imaginable next to killing Bella and I welcomed the fight to save his life and give her ours.

_If you don't give a damn about my feeling then I don't give one about yours_, I snarled at him. I had never talked to Edward like this and I didn't enjoy it now but he had to see reason_. I'll do whatever I think is right and there isn't anything you can do to stop me._

"I'll take her away" He didn't back down and I didn't budge even with Jasper pulling me backward. I could feel people staring at us and I cared less.

_You'll kidnap her from me too? _I snapped_. You'll run out of places to take her and I'll see where you're going._

He knew I had him there and he said nothing just glared at me. I searched the future and let him see everything that I saw. _Him running with Bella on his back, his car forgotten, my finding them while he hunted, taking Bella to Carlisle and explaining the situation; Bella begging Carlisle to change her and him coming home to late to stop it; Bella smiling with honey eyes and pale white skin; the two of us laughing and him with his arm around her waist smiling down at her._

"No" he whispered backing away from me. "You can't"

"I can and I will" I couldn't look at him anymore_. I won't give her up and you can't so just accept it._

I took Jaspers hand and I started walking back toward the hotel. Bella, Emmett and Edward followed but Emmett kept Bella next to him. He explained that Edward had a temper and it would be best if we let him calm down before she went with him. She nodded but kept her eyes on him and he kept his eyes on me.

He knew I would do it just as clearly as I did and he would thank me for it one day. Maybe it would take a hundred years but he would and so help me Bella would be around to see it too.

**AN: Alright that is it. What will Alice do? How will Edward react? So many questions and only a few answers.**

**I was thinking about doing teaser's for next week on my new blog but I remember last time not that many people went and checked out Beyond The Past previews when I did that before. So I have a question for you and a challenge. Okay the first person to either become a follower on my new blog or leave a comment to any of the post over there I will send you a preview of next week's chapter. And the first person that tells me if they would or wouldn't read a teaser over there will get something equally special. Okay, again that address is mztspot (dot) blogspot (dot) com. Look forward to hearing from you soon and don't forget to review!!**


	13. Chapter 12: Not Leaving

**CHAPTER 12: NOT LEAVING**

_Alice POV_

I was still fuming. Did he understand what he was doing? How he was going to hurt her? Hadn't he seen what was to come right along with me?

I couldn't have planned this better if I had written it. Edward and Bella were perfect together. Every time they looked at each other it was like fireworks. Emmett had taken to her like fish to water and even Jasper wasn't as wary around her. Granted he didn't sit next to her or talk that often but that was more for her protection. He could feel how much Edward loved her and he didn't want to hurt him by hurting Bella. So he kept a distance but it wasn't a harsh distance and if she asked him any question then he responded easily and with care.

Esme and Carlisle would be so happy if they were here; Esme especially. I knew that she had worried for so long about Edward ever finding someone to make this existence worth it. She would be beside herself with joy watching the two of them and would do just about anything for Bella if she asked. Carlisle would be a little more cautious, Bella being human and all, but he too would be ecstatic to see Edward so happy.

The only person that would hold any kind of grudge was Rosalie. I sighed to myself. I loved Rose but sometimes she could grade the nerves. She wouldn't take it well that someone outside the family knew about us. As it was she had called just about every minute of the three days that Emmett had been gone to ask when we were coming back and I could tell that she blamed our absence on Bella when it had really been her. If Edward hadn't been sure that she would act out against Bella he would have never kidnapped her. But then again, if Edward hadn't kidnapped Bella then they probably wouldn't be like this now. So maybe we should be thanking Rose.

Yes, Rose was a downside but she was nothing compared to Edward. We only had a few more days until Bella's mom would be in Florida. A few more days until she would be expecting Bella home and Edward hadn't budged. I was all game for dropping her off for a visit and exploring Florida, granted more so at night and then heading back home with Bella in tow. It wasn't like she would be behind. Thanks to all the faxed in homework and a wonderfully written report on seeing American History all about Mount Rushmore she was actually ahead of the class. I didn't think Chief Swan would have a problem with his daughter coming back but since the decision hadn't been made then I couldn't tell for sure. I knew that Bella would be safe from us even if Rosalie was still on the warpath. And that she would be part of the family soon so there wouldn't be any concerns if it wasn't for Edward.

Since deciding that he loved Bella and finding out that she loved him too he had become obsessed with making sure that she was protected and to him the best way to make sure was to leave her in Florida with her mom. He was convinced that she would not be a part of our family. That it was best for her if we left her in Florida to live out a nice normal human life. What a load of crap.

Bella had really become a sister to me. True she had this weird aversion to shopping that I completely didn't understand but other than that she was everything I would want in a best friend. She was funny and understanding. She accepted us without judgments or fear and best of all she loved my brother. The last thing I wanted was to leave her thousands of miles away where I had seen that she would be miserable. I had seen the pain that his decision would cause her and I had seen his response to the need to be with her and so had he and he still wouldn't listen.

I had been serious when I told him that I would take her to Carlisle and have him change her. There was no way that I was going to sit back and watch as their lives fell apart. And I would have to watch. There would be no stopping the visions. They hadn't stopped yet. Now that he was as decided as I was there were new vision every few hours. Him running with her, him trying to hide her, me finding them again, her mother worried sick about her, Chief Swan calling the FBI, search parties looking for all of us. They never ended well.

Unfortunately, Edward and police searches weren't the only problems. There was also the simple rule that governed all vampires; keep the secret. No human was supposed to know that we existed let alone be traveling cross country with us without forfeiting their lives. If word got out that Bella knew about us, and it would if FBI was called in, the Volturi, the vampire ruling family in Italy, would snatch her up and kill her before we had a chance to try to save her. They took their laws very seriously and we would not go unpunished for this action.

I had tried that approach while we walked along the streets of Memphis. It wasn't the best place to get into any kind of serious conversation but I didn't trust myself to be alone with him right now. As it was Emmett was the one riding with them and he hated those low ride seats. I had showed him the vision of police tracking us and the Volturi coming for Bella but he would hear none of it. He kept insisting that she would be safe once we were out of her life. Then he had run from me faster than he should have considering we were walking down Beale Street in Memphis. I would have broached the subject with Bella herself but she just found out about us. It was a little too early to talk about changes.

So where did that leave us. With Edward determined to leave her and me determined to save her. I didn't want to do it that way because I knew that although he wouldn't hate me for eternity it would be a long time before he really forgave me and I hated that option. There had to be another way.

"Alice" Jasper was right next to me. He had stayed close since my fight with Edward. Jasper loved his brother but he loved me more and he didn't like the way that Edward had been looking at me. "Are you alright?" He must have felt my frustration. We were hanging out in our room waiting for the sun to go down so that we could hit the road. We weren't that far from Chattanooga, Emmett's hometown, and we wanted to get there before dark.

"I'm fine" I told him. "Just worried about Edward and Bella."

"Do you see something happening?" Jasper was using his special talent to calm me. Any other time it would have worked but tonight I was too wound up.

"Other than our abandoning her in Jacksonville?" I practically screeched. "Or Edward hating me for having Carlisle change her?"

"Alice" I could hear the dark humor in his voice.

"What Jazz?" I knew that I shouldn't be angry with him but he happened to understand Edward point of view and thought that maybe it might be too dangerous for Bella to become part of our lives. "That is what we would be doing and Edward is too stubborn for his own good." I thought back over the almost two weeks we had spent together. It wasn't right.

"We uprooted her from her home and drug her across country, made memories together, told her all about the supernatural, and oh yeah, got her to fall in love and now we are just going to what" I asked. "Pull up; tell her it was a lot of laughs? Have Edward kiss her goodbye and remind her to keep in touch?"

"And think about it." I continued. Now that I was on a roll there might be no stopping me. "She's going to have all this information and no one to talk to about it. We'll be all the way on the other side of the world."

"Plus what happens when she comes back to visit her father thinking that she might have a chance of seeing us and we've already moved on?" I didn't want to think about her pain. "She's gonna feel like we never cared about her at all." I pouted.

"It won't be like that." Jasper tried to comfort me.

"Yes it will Jazz" I paced around the room. "I've seen it; Edward's seen it; he's just to set in his stupid ways to acknowledge it." I stopped in front of him. "She's not going to be able to handle this and neither his he."

"So what are you suggesting Alice?" Jasper's patient voice didn't falter. "That we bring her back to Forks? That Edward stays with her and resists her every day? That the rest of us would be able to promise that we would never hurt her?" He lifted my face to look into my eyes. "That's not very realistic."

"There are other ways." I voiced my thoughts to the only one that would listen. "He could change her. He should change her."

"And how is that far." Jasper asked. "Instead of having to say goodbye to us, who she's known for all of a couple of weeks, she would have to say goodbye to her family, who she's known all of her live."

"But we would be her family." I protested. "She's already a sister to me. Emmett thinks of her as a sister too and you seem to like her."

"I do but Alice" He smiled tightly at me. "That's a lot to ask someone to give up. That's a lot to ask Edward to take away from her."

"Still if he really loves her…."

"He would do what he's doing." Jasper finished for me although not with what I was going to say. "He's trying to protect her. He's trying to give her everything. I'm not sure that he is going to be able to do it but I commend him for trying."

"That seems a little backwards if you ask me." I stuck my lip out.

"Think about it Alice, if Bella stayed with Edward, whether he changed her or not, she would be giving up her parents, having a family of her own, growing old." He shrugged. "What could he give her that would make that sacrifice worth it?"

"He could give her himself." I shared. "He could give her his love and devotion. He could give her a family that would never leave her and would do anything to protect her. He could give her the world and an eternity to see it. He could give her forever with someone that cherishes her and would put her above everything else." I smiled at him thinking of all he had given me in the years that I had been fortunate enough to have him. "Sometimes those things are enough. Sometimes those things are all you want."

His eyes had softened as I spoke and he pulled me closer. "That's true but it's still not your decision to make."

"That changes nothing. Especially when I've seen it." I pushed away from him. "I've seen Bella as one of us. Even when I take myself out of the equation the vision is still there. Sometimes I still she her sitting in that room depressed but for the most part I see her with us. So whatever decision needs to be made it's already happened."

"You think Edward won't be able to not change her?"

"I think that it is a strong possibility." I looked back at him. "You said it yourself. Mated vampires need to be together and they are mated."

"Maybe it's different for them because Bella is human." He shrugged. "Maybe Edward can resist."

"He couldn't resist enough to stay gone after that first day and he couldn't resist talking to her or saving her even though he knew that it might expose us." I recounted Edward's pull to Bella. "I don't think he will be able to resist her now either."

"Then why are you pushing so hard?" He questioned.

"Because we don't have that much time." Was I the only person that remembered Bella was supposed to be in Florida by the time her mother got there? "If he doesn't make a decision before we get to her mother I'm afraid that he is going to leave her and he's going to hate himself for it."

"Alice you can't force him to see it your way." I could feel the calm reaching out to me again. "It has to be his decision."

"And if he decides wrong?"

"Then you have to respect it." I started to speak but he held his finger to my lips. "It is their relationship Alice and I know you care about Bella but it isn't the same."

I could see his point. I hated to think that I could be forcing a future that wasn't meant to be but I had seen it and I hated the idea of losing Bella. "I can't just sit by and watch their lives be destroyed."

"You might not have any other choice." He hugged me again.

"I hate this."

"I know." He didn't say anything else but just stood there with me wrapped in his arms until it was time to go.

We met everyone downstairs and took off in the direction Emmett lead us. He was riding with Edward and Bella in Edward's car no doubt still complaining about the room while I was in the van with Jasper. There had been talk about leaving Edward's vehicle behind but he wasn't very happy with that idea and Jasper wasn't sure he could handle riding for hours with Bella. With that in mind we kept the van.

I watched as we swerved around corners and sped down the highway not really paying attention. As much as I wanted to see where Emmett had grown up my excitement had died down. Chattanooga was right next to Georgia and Jacksonville was right on the other side of that state. At the most I would have two maybe three more days with Bella. I could drag it out if I could convince Edward to stay in Florida longer than just seeing Bella to her door. I knew that Emmett would be in a hurry to get back to Rosalie but if Jasper was on my side then I knew we could sway Edward and that might be all that was needed.

"Jazz" I used the sweetest voice I could.

"Hmm" His hand reached out for mine.

"Would you do me a favor?"

"Anything"

"Would you help me convince Edward to stay in Florida for a few days?"

He didn't say anything but his eyes spoke volumes as he looked over at me. "Just long enough for us to make sure that she's safe and to say a proper goodbye if we have to."

"No tricks?"

"No tricks" I smiled at him. "I'm just not ready to let her go. If I could figure out a way to move the family down there I would but I know that won't be possible so I would just like a little more time."

He breathed deep and then brought my hand up to his lips. "If it will make you happy."

"It will." I leaned over and kissed him as soundly as I could while going a hundred and fifteen on the freeway. "Thank you."

"No problem"

He was the best thing that ever happened to me. Like Bella was the best thing that ever happened to Edward. I knew that he knew that but I had to get him to really understand what his life would be like without her. I had to make him understand that if he did this there would be no going back. She was part of us now and it would be like cutting off an arm for her not to be with us.

Maybe if I called Carlisle and Esme and had them meet us in Jacksonville. If he saw how well she fit in with all his family; if he saw how much Esme loved her; how happy it made her to see him so happy. Maybe that would make all the difference. I would have to invite Rosalie too and tell her to be on her best behavior. I decided to call and then searched the future to see what the outcome would be.

There was no real change. I still saw Edward kissing Bella goodbye in the front of her mother's hotel, I saw all the different futures that I had seen before with the exception of the police. I saw Bella's tear streaked face crumbling after we left. I saw her waving goodbye to me and the frantic text a few hours later begging us to come back. I saw the room with her sitting there a shadow of herself and I saw her laughing with us looking no different than the rest.

I would come up with something. It didn't matter if I had to put her in the trunk this time she was coming back with us. I wouldn't abandon her to her own grief. She was going to be part of this family and family didn't leave behind family. That was that.

Too bad that Edward could read my thoughts but I had kept him from hearing me for two hours on the way down here. Could I keep all of this to myself? Would Bella help me? He couldn't read her thoughts so it would be easy for her to plan how to stow away without him knowing. I could hide her all the way back to Forks if I wanted too and he wouldn't be the wiser. Unless I couldn't control my thoughts.

Okay so I would start on it now. I would think about anything and everything other than Bella. I wouldn't give him any reason to think that I was plotting anything. I wouldn't translate songs or anything. I could do it; for Bella. After all, that's what family was for.

**AN: Welcome back for another week. These two have been so much fun to write and I know that I am so behind on responding to everyone's reviews but I was going out of town and getting prepared took so much more time than I thought. So today is respond to review day and I am going to apologize in advance if I flood anyone's mailbox.**

**As for my contest that I had going last week; lilmissfireball won for the first comment left to a post on my blog. This week I am making it a more even contest. Anyone that becomes a follower by Saturday will receive a preview for next week in their inbox on Monday provided that I have your review or someway to send it to you. This way everyone can get the preview if you just head over to mztspot (dot) blogspot (dot) com and don't forget to review :).**


	14. Chapter 13: My Decision

**CHAPTER 13: MY DECISION**

_Bella POV_

"What are you thinking?" Edward had been asking me that every since his fight with Alice a couple of days ago. I knew that he was worried that he had frighten me with the anger that he displayed but in all honesty I had been more concerned with what had happened to cause both of them to be so upset.

It wasn't like I had known Edward or Alice that long but from the time that I had spent with them I could tell that they cared and loved each other very much. Sure they teased and poked at each other as I had always imagined most siblings did but under it all they really seemed to want the other around.

I could only think that it had something to do with me. I wasn't trying to be egotistical but when he had mentioned taking "her" away I just had a feeling that I was the "her". Which begged the question what had Alice been thinking? Out of all his sibling he had seemed to trust her the most not to do anything against me and I couldn't see little Alice harming a fly. So what had she been thinking?

"Bella?" I hadn't answered and I couldn't say for sure but it always looked as if it bothered him when I didn't answer right away. I only guessed that it had something to do with not being able to hear my thoughts for which I was thoroughly pleased.

"I was thinking that we're almost to Florida." I don't know why but I wasn't ready to bring up Alice's name again.

I had tried after Emmett had assured me that Edward was calm enough to talk but he hadn't wanted to talk about it and she had kept her distance since then. The only time that she had tried to approach him was today when we had been walking down Beale Street and they had only stared at each other and then Edward had basically sprinted back to the hotel.

She hadn't been riding with us either and as much fun as Emmett was I missed Alice. She always made me laugh with the crazy things that came out of her mouth. She had been right in the beginning. She was like my best friend.

It was strange thinking of that. I had only really lived in two places and I barely remembered one but I had never really felt comfortable anywhere. I had never really made friends in Arizona and the people in Forks just looked at me like I was new meat. They were more interested in the "new girl" then in Bella Swan. Yet here with these would be monsters, the things of scary movie and hideous nightmares, I had found peace.

They understood me and accepted me and I felt more myself with them than I did with my own parents. It could be because I didn't have to take care of any of them or think of what to say all the time. They just accepted me and Edward loved me. It didn't make sense, him being so beautiful and perfect in every way, but he did. How was I supposed to go back to a normal life after this?

"What happens when we get there?" I asked. I knew in the beginning he had been most likely just going to drop me off and go back to his family but that had to have changed now. Would we even stop or just turn around and head back to Forks?

"We'll take you to your mom." He said quietly.

I liked the fact that I would get to see her. It would be a chance to say goodbye since I wasn't sure if I would be able to get back down here after this. "How long will we be able to stay?"

He didn't answer right away and I could tell that he didn't want to answer at all. "Edward" I sat up and looked at him. "How long are we staying?"

"Bella" He closed his eyes and then looked at the ceiling. "I promised that I would take you to your mother and that is what I'm doing."

I sat there for a minute letting my mind replay everything that he had just said. When it all settled in I looked at him with my heart in my eyes. "You're still leaving me there." It wasn't a question because I could see there was no point.

He didn't say anything and neither did I. I knew that it hadn't made sense for him to love me and now I understood. He didn't really. He couldn't. Not if he was planning on just depositing me in my mother's arms and walking away. What about Alice? Is this what she had seen? Was that why they were fighting?

"Will I ever see you again?" I couldn't look at him and he couldn't look away from the ceiling.

"No" it was so quiet that I had to strain to hear it.

"Is this what you and Alice are fighting about?"

"Yes"

"She doesn't what to leave me" Again I didn't have to ask.

"No"

"But you do?" I couldn't breathe.

"No"

That didn't make any sense. If he didn't want to leave me then why was he going to do it? "I'm confused."

"It's for the best." He still hadn't moved his eyes from the ceiling.

"The best for whom?"

"You" He looked at me then. "You don't belong in my world Bella."

"Why not?"

"Because it's too dangerous." He was holding my hand. "I don't want to leave you and if there were any way that we could stay together without putting your life at risk I would do it."

"There is" I said looking into his eyes.

"How?" He breathed. "I have thought of nothing else for the last five days and I can come up with nothing. Tell me how we can make this work?"

"I could be like you." I saw the shock on his face. "We could be together forever."

"No Bella" He shook his head. "I can't ask that of you."

"You didn't ask" I squeezed his hand. "I'm offering."

"No"

"Why?"

"Because I can't."

"Don't you love me?"

He cradled my face in his hands. "More than anything ever in this world; which is why I have to let you go."

"That doesn't make any sense." What kind of logic did he use to get to that conclusion?

"Bella, you have a family and friends and a long life ahead of you. You deserve to be with someone that can share that life." He paused. "Someone that can hold you without worrying if he's hurting you, someone that can have children with you, someone that can grow old with you. I can't do those things Bella."

"I don't care about those things." Didn't he understand? "Edward I just want you."

His eyes closed and I could see that it hurt him when I said that. "Could we ask Alice? Maybe she could see if…."

"No" He hissed and then I knew.

"Alice saw it." Another statement. It was as clear as rain. Alice had seen me as a vampire and that was why they were fighting. Alice wanted to change me and he didn't. It all made sense. Except for why he didn't want to change me. "She saw me like you, didn't she?"

"Did she tell you that?" the hard edge was back to his voice. "What did she say to you?"

I felt the pressure of his hands increase on my face and he must have to because he dropped them quickly and the guilt in his expression told me how sorry he was.

"Do you see?" He got up and started moving around the room so fast I almost couldn't keep up with him. "I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at Alice and I almost hurt you. I didn't mean it. I wasn't thinking and I could have crushed your skull without trying. Doesn't she see that?" I thought he was talking about me but then he kept going. "Doesn't she understand what we would be taking away from you? Of course not. She just wants her new best friend at whatever price. She doesn't thinking about all that you'll be missing or giving up. She doesn't see how I could hurt you or how things could get out of hand. She doesn't see."

He kept moving and talking to himself and I let him. I could try to argue with him right now but what was the point. He was arguing with himself enough for the both of us. So I sat back and closed my eyes waiting for him to calm down.

I thought about what it would be like to never see Renee and Charlie again. Would I be okay with that? I loved my parents dearly and it would be hard but I knew that if they knew that I was okay they would be okay. I mean Renee had Phil and she was happy and Charlie had lived a whole fifteen years with only seeing me two weeks out of the year so he would be able to go back to whatever he was doing before I showed up. They both had lives that could continue without me and I could be with Edward and Alice and Emmett and the rest.

That stopped me. Would the rest like me? Jasper had seemed to come around and although he didn't really talk to me like the other three he wasn't mean or hurtful. He was just more concerned with Alice which was as it should be. But what about Rosalie or the parents? The doctor, Carlisle if I remember correctly, hadn't sounded like he had any problems with me at the hospital before we left but what if that had changed when his son kidnapped me? What if now he blamed me for this family being split apart?

And I couldn't ignore the fact that Rosalie hadn't come with Emmett. Was she thinking that life would be better off if I was dead? Would she welcome me into her family? And I didn't know anything about the mother. I couldn't even remember her name. What if she hated me for all the drama that I had brought into their lives? If I was going to give up my human parents could I spend eternity with new ones that resented my presence in their lives?

"What are you thinking?" I hadn't felt Edward sit back down on the bed but there he was next to me. "Are you angry with me?"

My eyes flew to his face. "Why would I be angry with you?"

"For hurting you" I could see the pain those words cost him.

"No" I shook my head and climbed into his arms. Showing him without words that I trusted him. "And you didn't hurt me."

"I'm sorry whether I hurt you or not." He was rubbing my back gently. "I would never what to hurt you."

We stayed like that until Emmett burst into the door. "Break it up, break it up" he was smiling at us. "It's time to go and the last thing I want is to be stuck with you two making eyes at each other all the way to Chattanooga."

"You could always ride with Jasper and Alice." Edward suggested not letting me go.

"And listen to her bitch about whatever is going on between the two of you?" He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so. If I had wanted to be around a woman that was angry with you I would have stayed home with Rosie."

So she wasn't okay with me. Emmett had just confirmed it. What about the other two? Did they hate me to? I would have to get him alone and ask.

We walked out and made our way to the car. I had agreed to sitting in the back since Emmett was so big. There was no way that he could be comfortable back here. We drove for a number of miles before we had to stop for gas. Everyone got out and I reached for Emmett's hand.

"Help me pick out some snacks in the store?" I hoped he didn't see through my pretense.

"I don't know how much help I'll be but sure" He shrugged.

We walked inside and I went to the chip aisle. "How about these? They have a cartoon on them." He looked really excited about Chester Cheetah. "Besides I might not know about human food" He said in a low voice "But I know real cheetahs are good."

I couldn't have helped my laugh if I tried. That had to be the strangest recommendation for food I had ever heard. "Okay" I took the bag from him and went to the sodas.

"Em, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure"

"Does the rest of your family hate me?" I squeaked out.

"What?" He looked down at me all confused.

"Does the rest of your family hate me?" I repeated. "Rosalie and Carlisle and…..and…."

"Esme?" He asked and I nodded. He smiled and put his arm around my shoulder. "No, not really."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, Esme and Carlisle don't know you; neither does Rose for that matter but she's a little more opinionated then most." He shrugged off. "With Esme and Carlisle all they would have to do is see how happy Edward is and they would love you; especially Esme. She's been waiting for as long as she has known Edward for him to find someone special."

"And Rose?" I noticed he hadn't really said anything about her.

He gave me a sideways smile. Not crooked like Edwards but almost more resigned. "Rose had a certain way of seeing things" He started. "It's not that she doesn't like you or couldn't like you but she would need time to warm up to you. But once she did she would lay down her life for you." He defended loyally. "You just have to be patient with her and give her some time."

I nodded but didn't say anything else. "Was there a reason you asked?"

"I was just wondering since I haven't really met them." I said reaching for a cherry Coke.

"Don't worry" He had his arm still around me and squeezed my shoulder. "They'll love you once we get you back home."

We turned and I saw Edward staring at us from the counter. Emmett's arm dropped in response to the expression on his face and I saw his eyebrows draw together. I didn't know what he was telling him but whatever it was I didn't think it helped.

I wasn't sure if he had overheard us or not but he looked as if he had and he wasn't happy about the tone of our conversation. I walked slowing over to him and Emmett stayed right next to me. He looked as if he was ready to pull me away at a moment's notice if Edward made the wrong move but I knew he wouldn't. He might be angry that I had asked questions about his family but he wouldn't hurt me.

"Is that all?" He asked formally. I nodded and he added it to the gas for his car and the van.

We all walked out and got back inside the car. No one said anything as we followed the road back to the highway or as we rode along to Chattanooga. When we got to town Edward let Jasper and Alice come around front since Alice had made the hotel reservations. We pulled in and went to our rooms.

Edward hadn't said a word to me since we left Memphis and he didn't say anything as he laid down on the bed with his arms open for me. I sat down beside him instead of laying there and he dropped his arms down.

"I know you're mad but I just wanted to know." I referred to my gas station conversation with Emmett.

"I'm not mad" He said in a voice that didn't convince me at all.

"Then what are you thinking?" I turned his favorite question back on him.

"I'm thinking that I love you" He said taking my hand. "And I'm thinking that you love me and that it makes sense that you would think this might be the best way but Bella" he was shaking his head. "You have no idea of what you're asking; what you're thinking."

"Then explain it to me." I moved closer to him. "Explain to me why it would be better for us to be apart then for you to make me like you."

"It's not something you can understand."

How dare he? "I think I've fairly intelligent and I can grasp complex thoughts Edward."

"Bella let it go."

"No. Not until you explain why I should be like you."

"Because…" He trailed off.

"There is an enlightened argument." I said sarcastically. "Because; isn't that used by most parents on three year olds to get them to shut up."

"Bella."

"Is that how you see me Edward? Like some three year old child that doesn't know what she wants?"

"Of course not" He was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Then tell me why you think it would be better to leave me than change me."

"This isn't up for discussion."

Suddenly I was livid. Here I was ready to abandon my whole life, for the second time, for him and he wouldn't even talk to me about it. How dare he make these types of decisions for me?

"So I don't get a say in the decisions that affect my own life?" I asked standing up to look down at him.

"Of course you do but not this one." He sat up.

"You overbearing, egotistical jackass" What was he thinking? I saw his eyes widen at my statement but in that moment I didn't care. "I think you should go." I walked over to the door but he was there before I reached it.

"What?" He looked down at me. I could see the hurt that my request was causing him but I needed to think and I couldn't do that with him here.

"I think you should stay in Emmett's room tonight." I stood my ground.

"Bella" he reached for me.

"I'm sorry Edward." I backed up. "You can't tell me that you plan to leave me when we get to Florida because you have_**decided**_ that it's what's best for me without consulting me or asking my opinion and then expect me to keep sharing a room with you."

"I need to think" I told him. "And I would appreciate it if you left now."

He stayed there for a minute more but in the end turning and walking out the door. It nearly killed me to watch him walk away but I couldn't spend tonight in his arms knowing that I only had so many left. Maybe this would be for the best. Give him an idea of what it would be like without me. Maybe then he would come around. If not I would go to Alice. He wasn't the only vampire I knew and whether he liked it or not my decision had been made. Now it was just a matter of time.

**AN: Another week another two chapter and we could be getting close to the end. Will Edward leave her? Will Alice kidnap her too? Am I preparing a sequel; Kidnapped: the Alice chronicles. Just joking on that last one. Although it sounds like it would be funny to write I think I'm sticking to just this.**

**Don't forget to review and don't forget my contest over on my blog. Until next week, keep reading :).**


	15. Chapter 14: Already Gone

**CHAPTER 14: Already Gone**

_Edward POV_

_You screwed up didn't you?_ Emmett asked as soon as he opened the door. I said nothing and walked past him_. So you don't want to talk about it but do you want my advice?_ I just stared at him. The last thing I wanted was Emmett's advice_. Too bad 'cause you're going to get it anyway, stop thinking._

I waited for him to say something else but he didn't. I knew I should have gone hunting instead of coming here. "That makes no sense Emmett." I finally spoke.

_Yes it does._ He sat down by me. _You are over thinking this and you need to just let go and be with Bella._

"If I did that I would kill her." Why did my family not understand? Bella is human and fragile and they act like she isn't.

_I'm not talking about sex Edward although we all know that you need to get laid but I'm talking about the relationship in whole._ I just looked at him. _Look I know that everyone thinks that I don't think of anything serious but you of all people should know that isn't true and I'm trying to be your brother here._

_You love her_; he went on not needing confirmation_. It's as plan to see as my muscles or your brooding but you're doing everything you can to ruin it._

Again I looked at him._ You are suffocating the girl when you're together and then instead of holding on to her you're willing to let her go. Do you think that if I or Jasper were in your shoes we would walk away from Alice or Rosalie? Hell no because there would be no way we could. You're going to hurt her for no good reason._

"How can you say that?" I was so sick of defending the fact that all I wanted was what was best for Bella. "I just want her to be happy and be able to have a family and all the things in this world. Why doesn't anyone understand that?"

_We do but we can just all see that you are doing it the wrong way. _

"Then what would be the right way?" I asked. "Change her into a monster? Take away her soul so that I can keep her forever just because I don't want to live without her? How can it be right if I'm destroying her life? That's not right; it's selfish."

_Why do you only see the bad_, he was shaking his head. _Yes, we have our moments of being monsters and the jury is still out on the soul thing but we have done some great things too. And there isn't always a right or wrong. Sometimes there's just making it okay._

"Again Emmett, not making any sense."

_In an ideal world we would all have met during our own times. I would have been in New York instead of that bastard that was supposed to marry Rose, Alice would have been around during the Civil War and not in a crazy house, and Bella would have been born during the turn of the century. We all would have met, fell in love, gotten married, had a bunch of kids and grandkids, grown old and died but that isn't what happened._

_We've all made our peace with that, even Rose, because we have found someone that makes this life special. That makes the loss of what we should have had okay. But you haven't until now._ He looked over at me. _Now you have someone that you love and who loves you. Someone that rocks your world and you're throwing that away._

"I'm just trying to protect her." I put my head in my hands.

_We understand that but we also have a bit more experience then you._

My head shot up. "Are we back to sex again?"

_No_, he jumped up. _Look Edward, between Alice, Jasper and myself we have more relationship experience then the years you have been around. We've had good relationships and bad. Human and vampire and we know that it's not that easy to walk away. _

_There will never be another Bella, Edward._ He said it like I didn't know it. _And you're never going to feel this way again. We don't change once we find our mates and as people who care about you and love you and have spend half a century or better with you and see the difference that she has made we love her too. And we want you both to be happy._

_We know that you are trying to protect her and not be selfish and give her everything and all that crap but maybe the only thing she wants is you. _ He shrugged. _You have what? Three days before you make the biggest mistake of your very long life? Stop thinking and just go with what you feel._

He didn't say anything else and neither did I. I sat on the couch in the room and watched as he watched a movie but my mind was down the hall with Bella. Could Emmett be right? Could they all be right? Was I missing something here? Were they?

Was it so wrong to want Bella to be happy and safe and human? There were so many things that I would end up taking away from her if I changed her into a vampire. So many things that she would never be able to have all because I couldn't let her go. Did I really have the right to do that? Wasn't it wrong of me to consider it?

But could I really walk away from her? I had been thinking about it for days now and every time I saw myself running back to her. I saw Jasper's words coming true. Not being able to control myself and killing her. I saw the pain of that one moment and despair filled me.

I didn't want to leave her. I didn't want to trust that she would be fine without me. I didn't want to think that some nameless, faceless guy would one day win her heart and I would be nothing more than a painful memory. I wanted to keep her with me always and take care of her and be the one that always had her heart. But wasn't that selfish?

_Hey, we gotta go_, Emmett was standing in front of me.

"What?" I looked around. When had the light started to come out?

_We need to hunt before Bella wakes up and it gets sunny_, he was walking toward the door.

I followed not thinking at all. Alice and Jasper where waiting in the lobby and we all took off in the van. I went through the motions of finding something that would fill me but not caring what it was. I was back at the car before anyone else and I was thankful that none of them said anything on the ride back. I went to Bella's room and knocked on the door but there was no answer. I waited hoping that she was just sleep but still no answer.

_Come on Edward let her rest_, Emmett called me back into his room. I wanted to see her but short of breaking down the door there was nothing I could do so I went back to the couch and sat there waiting for Bella to wake up.

It felt like years before Emmett's cell phone rang and Alice was telling us that it would be to sunny to go out. I got up and was about to go to Bella's room when Emmett stopped me.

_She's not there_

I turned on him. "Where is she?" If Alice had taken her I would rip her apart.

_I don't know_, he closed the phone_, Alice just said to tell you that Bella wasn't in her room and that she wouldn't be back until late._

I swung the door open and ran vampire speed to her door. I banged on it until Jasper opened up. "You're going to break the door Edward."

I didn't care as I stormed past him looking for Alice. "Where is she?" I asked.

_I don't know_, she shrugged_. She came by here earlier and asked if she could borrow my laptop and the keys to the van._

"And you gave them to her?" Bella didn't know her way around this town. What if something happened and I couldn't get to her because of the damn sun?

_She's not our prisoner_, she snapped. _And unlike some people I don't go around making decisions for others._

"No you just go around telling them what to do" I wasn't in the mood for another round with Alice. We had never fought like this and I hated it but I couldn't forget her threat to change Bella without me. "Where is she Alice?"

_I don't know_

"Then look for her" I demanded.

_And what are you going to do when I find her?_ She crossed her arms in front of her chest. _Run out all sparkly in the sun and drag her back here?_

"If I have to" The last thing I cared about now was keep our secret. If Bella was in danger I would expose us all to save her.

Alice searched the future and found Bella at a coffee shop down the street. She was sitting there with the laptop open and concentrating on whatever she was typing. She looked tired and I didn't want to think that she hadn't slept because of our conversation last night. The scene shifted and Bella was walking through a park just staring at her feet and then she was back.

_Nothing to worry about_, Alice smirked.

"We'll see" I left and went down to the lobby. I would sit here all day if that was how long Bella was gone but I wasn't letting her shut me out again.

I watched as people came in and went out and the sun started to set. It was getting later and later and Bella still wasn't back. I began to get nervous. What if she had changed her mind and Alice had missed it? Something could have happened on the way back and Bella could need me. I was just about to go looking for her when she walked back in.

"Thank God" I was at her side in an instant. I didn't even care if anyone had noticed me move. "Where have you been?"

"Out" She kept walking and didn't look at me at all.

"That's it?" I put my hands on her shoulders to stop her.

"Yes" She went to turn but I held her still.

"Bella you can't go out like that." I explained. "Especially during the day with the sun. Anything could have happened and I wouldn't have been able to get to you."

Her eyes narrowed and she looked as if she could spit venom. "Now you're telling me when I can go out?" She fairly hissed. "Stop treating me like a child Edward. I can go where I want, when I want and there is nothing you can do about it." She backed away from me. "And if you are so worried about something happening to me then maybe you shouldn't be so willing to drop me off and run away." She started walking again.

"Bella" I walked after her. "Bella I'm just trying to do what's right."

"Sure Edward." She stood bone straight as she waited for the elevator.

We rode up in complete silence. She didn't stop at her room but went to Alice's to return the laptop. "Was it helpful?" Alice asked with a smile.

"Very" Bella nodded and then kissed her on the cheek. "You're a great sister." Alice beamed up at her and then scowled at me.

"See you in the morning." Bella said and then turned toward her room. I followed like a little puppy dog intend on talking more once we got inside. I would make her understand but when we got to the door she didn't open it but turned to me. "Goodnight Edward."

"Goodnight?" This was the second night that she was turning me away.

"Yes, goodnight" She didn't move. "If you're going to basically dupe me in three days then what would be the point of us being together now?"

"Bella don't do this." I begged. I would get down on my hands and knees if I had to. I had counted on those days; needed those days to get as much of her as I could to last a lifetime.

"Sorry Edward but you can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you are going to treat me like an equal and recognize that I should have a say in my life or you can just start getting use to not having me earlier than you had expected. It's your call."

"Bella I'm just trying not to hurt you."

"Then don't" I could see that she wasn't as composed as she was trying to be. "Don't let me go. If you want me then want me. Not just for three days but for forever."

"I do" Why could no one understand?

"Are you still planning on leaving me in Florida?" I didn't say anything. "That's what I thought. So there's nothing more to say." With that she opened the door and went inside shutting it firmly behind her.

I was three seconds from knocking it down when Jasper and Emmett appeared at my side_. Don't do it man,_ Emmett said as Jasper sent out a wave of calm.

_It won't end well if you do_, Jasper was shaking his head_. Alice has seen it._

"Then what do I do?" I looked from one to the other.

"Let her be_"_ Jasper told me.

"That's it?"

"Edward we didn't start this; you did_."_ Emmet was turning me toward his room_. "_You are the one that made the decision to walk away from her. Not me or Alice or Jasper or even Bella and yet your taking it out on all of us."

"Because no one understands." I almost yelled.

"Shouldn't that be a clue?" Jasper was standing with his hand folded.

"A clue about what?"

"That you need to pull your head out of your ass_"_, Emmett jumped in.

"Basically_",_ Jasper agreed_. "_She's right. You can't expect her to let you play the boyfriend for three days and then leave her all alone. What is the point in that?"

"That we get to have three more days; possibly more. We could stay in Florida for a few days."

"To what end Edward_?" _ Jasper asked. "Can't you see how easily two days becomes two weeks and then two months? You're never going to want to leave her_."_

"It will get easier." I had to believe that.

"No it won't_"_, Emmett shook his head. "You don't have to be Alice to see that. She's your mate. She's changed you and there is no way that you are ever going to be able to be away from her. Not for any long period of time. Why can't you accept that_?"_

"Because I can't take her soul" I cried. "I can't damn her to this."

"Then you damn her to something else_"_, Jasper's spoke softly. "You damn her to pain and loss and heartbreak. Edward I felt her emotions and they are stronger than the average human. She isn't going to be able to get over this_."_

I wanted to cry. I wanted to run to Bella and hold her and cry out my frustration and confusion. I was losing her earlier than I should; earlier than I wanted. What I wanted was to make whatever promises would keep her with me but I couldn't. She deserved so much more than this life. Maybe this was for the better. Maybe it would be easier this way, a clean break. I didn't want to think about if my brothers were right.

"It is better this way" I stood. I needed to get out of this hotel. I couldn't spend another night staring into space while Bella was right down the hall from me. "This way she can have closer."

_You're an ass_, Emmett stared at me and Jasper didn't say a word. They both let me walk out of the room and neither followed.

I went outside and walked around the city for a while. It was dark enough now that no one would notice my skin. I tried my best not to let my mind wander back to Bella but I couldn't help it. Every store I passed I saw something in the window that would look great on Bella or that she should have. Every place I saw seemed to remind me of someplace we had already been.

I wasn't going to be able to do this. I wasn't going to be able to spend the next sixty to seventy years seeing Bella's face everywhere I went. But did I have the strength to make her mine? Could she really understand what she would be giving up? How fast she could come to resent me for ending her human life.

I turned back to the hotel and went for my car. Maybe a drive would clear my mind. I opened the door and Bella's wonderful scent accosted me. This was never going to work. I sat there with my head in my hands and my eyes closed. Even with nothing but her scent I could see her. I could see her smile, her laugh, those amazing eyes and I could see Alice's vision. I could see Bella ghostly pale with yellowed eyes and laughing next to me. I could see it and I wanted it. I wanted it so bad I could taste it. Bella beside me forever; never having to let her go; holding her every night; who wouldn't want that?

No, I stood up. I could do this. I could be strong. For Bella I could do anything, even if that meant causing her pain. She would hate me now but one day she would find the right person that could give her everything I couldn't. One day this would all be right. I had to believe that because God help me if I was wrong.

**AN: Boy Edward can really miss the point sometimes :). I just wanted to take a moment and say thanks for all the wonderful comments that I have been getting in your reviews. I'm glad that you are enjoying this story and I can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter. So without further ado press that little green review button and I'll see you in chapter 15.**

**Go on; press it; you know you want to…..**


	16. Chapter 15: Worth It

**CHAPTER 15: Worth It**

_Bella POV_

"This isn't working Alice" I was frustrated and I missed Edward.

It had only been two real days and I was going out of my mind. I hated that I was hurting him and I hated that I was holding myself back but I could think of nothing else. He had to know what it would be like without me. But every time I saw him I just wanted to run into his arms.

I had cried myself to sleep that first night and had left the hotel just so I didn't rush to him in the morning. I had done the homework that was needed and sent it in and then gone for a walk to clear my mind and renew my strength but it had taken all my resolve to turn him away again. I wanted him with me and I wanted his arms around me and I want to spend every night with him next to me but we wouldn't if I had given in.

We hadn't stayed in Chattanooga long after that. The next day Emmett had taken us to where his family's ranch was and was pissed to see that it had been flatten and turned into a mall. Alice on the other hand had been overjoyed. She had grabbed my hand and led me inside to every store they had. After that Emmett wasn't in the mood to see anymore so we checked out of the hotel and went back on the road. I had ridden with Alice and Emmett in the van and let Jasper ride with Edward in his car. The look he got on his face when I said I wanted to go with them had almost made me change my mind but Alice had pulled me away before I could say the wrong thing.

Now we were in Atlanta and getting ready to go out and nothing had changed. "What if he never changes his mind?" I was in Alice's room and she was doing something to my hair that had taken the better part of an hour.

"He will" She seemed so confident. "We just have to give him some time."

"But we don't have time" I stood not caring if she was done or not. "We'll be in Florida tomorrow."

"I know" The look she gave me didn't look nearly as confident as her voice had sounded.

"You're not sure are you?" I accused. "You can still see him leaving me?"

"Yes" She shook her head. "But I can also still see you as one of us. That's a good thing."

"Alice" I whined. "You only see that because you're decided that I will be. I know that you said you would change me but I want him to do it. I want him to want to keep me. It doesn't work without him and I wouldn't want it without him either."

"I know but you have to let him work it out in for himself." She walked over and put her arm on my shoulder. "And if all else fails then both of you will just have to suck it up because I am not spending eternity without my best friend."

I smiled at her. She really was a great person. "Thanks Alice"

"No problem." She gave me a quick hug. "Now sit back down and let me finish your hair."

I sat back down but my mind stayed glued to the problem at hand, Edward. For some reason I didn't doubt that he loved me or that he wanted me with him even if it didn't make sense or I had doubted it before, but I couldn't understand why he would leave me. Alice and Emmett had told me all about how Edward had been before meeting me on the ride down here and I couldn't understand why he would want to go back to that. Was this really about protecting me or was there something more? Maybe he didn't love me enough.

Eternity is a long time to stay with just one person. To dedicate your life to loving that person. Maybe he wasn't sure if he could love me that long. I mean right now I was something new. Something different and I smelled all good and tasty but maybe he wasn't sure if he would still want me after I was changed. When I smelled different and I wasn't so soft and fragile. Maybe he had some kind of superhero complex and didn't think I would be as fun when he didn't have to rush in a save me all the time.

Or maybe I was just reading too much into this. Maybe it was really as simple as he was trying to convince everyone that it was and maybe he really was trying to protect me. I could understand that but it was the leaving that confused me. If he really thought that I was in so much danger than why would he leave? He had to know that if one of his kind came looking for me there was no way that I could defend myself. For Pete's sake he pushed a van away with his hand. How could I stand a chance against that?

And what about regular everyday problems? It wasn't something supernatural that caused that van to almost squish me in the first place. Just good old fashion normal snow. I was a klutz. Didn't he realize that anything could happen to me? I could trip down the stairs here and fall through a window or step into the elevator and somehow miss the cart. I could walk outside and get hit by a car just as easily as I could walk out and nothing happen. There were no guarantees that I would be safe even if I had never met him.

So how did I make him see that? Should I put myself in harm's way or would that just be foolish? Foolish I think but there had to be a way. Because I didn't want to stay in Florida, I wanted to go back to Forks of all places with my new friends and the love of my life.

"All done" Alice beamed as she spun me around. I had to admit that my hair did look really good. She had put waves into it and then pinned up the front so that it looked a little messy but was a well put together ponytail and let the back dangle down. It went with the outfit that she had picked out that I never would have thought to wear but I trusted Alice.

We went downstairs and the guys were waiting for us. They all rose when we walked over and I chanced a glance just in time to see Edward draw in a deep breath. He was looking me up and down and I could only hope that he liked what Alice had done.

"Let's go sightseeing" Alice's bubbly personality poured out and she grabbed Jaspers hand and walked to the door with the three of us behind her.

We walked through the town of Atlanta mostly. Looking around at all the historical landmarks and new additions. It was like walking with open history books. They were able to tell me from memory what all had really changed and what some things had looked like when they were first build. They had stories for some of the lesser known spots and laughs about other places that I had never heard of. It had been this way for most of the trip but for some reason, maybe because it was almost over, this one seemed more special.

We had made it to the memorial and burial site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and as we stood across not going in I was touched by the fact that these four people had been here. Not just when he was killed but before. They had seen segregation and wars. Jasper alone had fought for the south during the Civil War. What did they think now seeing the world as it is? Did they accept everyone for who they were or where the old ideas still present? I had always been raised by Renee to not judge anyone based on anything but their actions. Did the Cullens feel the same way?

"What's wrong Bella?" Jasper asked standing closer to me than he ever had. He looked as if he wanted to comfort me somehow but wasn't sure what I needed. Edward looked up at his words and took a step closer but stopped himself before he could continue. His brow was drawn together as he looked at me and I could see that he didn't like that his brother was the one next to me. "You're confused."

"It's nothing." I started to wave it off but then I really wanted to know. "I was just wondering what was going through your minds standing here. When you've seen so much of life before Dr. King and after; how do you feel? Did you agree with him?" It was strange that this point was more important to me than any other.

Of course Alice spoke first. "Well, I don't remember my human life so I don't remember women not being able to vote or being thought of as better than someone just because of what or who I was." She shrugged. "And then I woke up I was in this strange world that didn't relate to normal life so I never really had to think about it. But being that I was in some sort of institution before for having visions I always felt sorry for those that were jailed just for speaking out. I couldn't remember it but I can't believe that being locked away was better for anyone than having freedom."

"I remember my family being sure that they were better but I don't remember if that was just because we were white in the south or if it was because we had the biggest farm in the county." Emmett voiced next. "But being a…" He stopped and looked around. "Being different I can understand just wanting to be accepted. To not be judged just by how you look. We are and although we need that so that human, well smart human" he ruffled my hair "stay away I still sometimes wish that they wouldn't look at us and automatically think something bad."

Edward was looking at me as he spoke. "I guess it was different for me growing up in Chicago. My parent weren't that political even with my father being a lawyer. They were more about keeping your head down and doing your job. Plus I was so focused on going off to war that I really didn't notice anything else going on in the world around me."

"But after I was changed and I started to see things with different eyes I understood their struggle. I could hear the thought around me both good and bad and I realized that it wasn't just ideas they were fighting it was years of miscommunication, anger and evil." He was nodding his head. "If I had been able to I would have helped as much as I could but there was just so much that we could do being what and who we are."

"What about you Jasper?" I looked to him. "You fought against acceptance."

"I didn't think about it that way at the time." He smiled and I thought I heard just a little bit more of his accent coming forth. "To me it was just about fighting for my country. I didn't like the idea of us being separated and I thought that was all the North wanted. But looking back I can see that I had my own ideas about slavery and black people." His voice was almost a whisper by the last part.

"Their African-Americans now" Emmett corrected him.

"Thanks" Jasper gave him a dry look. "The point is that I guess I didn't see anything wrong with what we were doing. There was work to be done and we needed someone to do it and they were available. But then I was changed and essentially became a slave myself. A slave to Maria; a slave to the vampire wars we had; a slave to my thirst and almost a hundred years later I am still trying to find a way to live with it. I could understand them better now. They didn't choose to be brought here and made to work for us and I didn't choose to be turned and made to fight just for more land; more blood."

"In the end I realized that what we had done was wrong." He was smiling. "I still love my Confederacy but I'm glad we lost."

I smiled at them. This was what I had needed to hear. "Thanks"

"No problem" Jasper put his hand on my shoulder and I felt the calm wash over me.

We walked some more and talked more about the different changes. I saw Edward looking over at me more than at the space that we were walking but I had too much on my mind to think about him this time.

If I succeeded and Edward changed me what would I remember? What differences could the world achieve in the next fifty years or a hundred? Would I be able to keep up? There were so many things that I still needed to learn and I wondered if I would be able to do them as a vampire. I knew from their experience that I could go to school but what about beyond that. Edward had multiple doctor's degrees but he had never really be able to practice medicine because of his age and his bloodlust. Would that be the same for me?

I would be frozen at seventeen. I wouldn't age or change or anything. I couldn't go out and get a job after college or move out on my own. And repeating high school over and over sounded miserable. I wasn't all that excited to go back now. Was I ready to sacrifice that? And then there were my parents. Could I really never see Charlie and Renee again? I had thought about this before but now it seemed more real to me as I was campaigning for this change. What would I tell them? How could I explain?

I wasn't watching where I was going and my foot caught on something in the street. I braced myself for the concrete but it never came. Two strong cold arms were wrapped around me and something solid and hard was at my back.

"I got you" His velvet voice whispered in my ear and I turned my head to look into his brilliant topaz eyes. Alice had been right, this is my favorite color.

"Yes you do" and as I said the words I knew they were true. He did have me completely and irrevocably. There was no change to come. He could leave me right now and I would still love him until my last breath. There would be no one else. All those things that he worried I would be giving up to join him, age, and family, career, suddenly they meant nothing. Because I wouldn't want them without him. I didn't want anything without him.

It was funny how clear it became and how quickly. All my thoughts and worried simply faded away. I knew with everything that I was that I was meant to be with him and that I would do whatever it took to stay with him. I would even let Alice change me. It didn't matter as long as we were together.

He sat me on my feet and backed away never taking his eyes off me. I stood there paralyzed by my realization. I watched as he walked away toward the hotel obviously not interested in touring anymore but it didn't matter.

"Alice" I whispered.

"I know" She smiled at me. "I know."

I smiled back. I could only imagine what she had seen in that moment. My decision had been so clear. "When?"

"We'll know when it's right." She put her arm around me. "Let's finish the tour. I have plans for us tonight."

"Plans?"

"Absolutely" She was smiling bigger. "It might not take as much time as I originally thought."

"Really?"

She tapped her head. "Haven't you learned to trust me yet Bella?"

I smiled following behind her and Jasper. I would trust her and I would trust my feelings but mostly I would trust my decisions. Edward would change his mind all I had to do was be patient. Too bad that had never been one of my virtues. So I would work on it because he was worth it. I smiled to myself as I saw our future. Edward was worth everything.

**AN: There you go. I hope that you liked this chapter as much as I did although I will admit that my favorite is coming up next. And I know you are going to hate me but you are going to have to wait until next week to read it. But I do have a little preview over on my new blog. Go check it out and don't forget to review.**

**Mztspot (dot) blogspot (dot) com**


	17. Chapter 16: One Night

**CHAPTER 16: ONE NIGHT**

_Alice POV_

Tonight was going to be great. I had arranged for us to see a play that was showing at a local theater and then take Bella to dinner at this great place that also had dancing. I had dressed her up in this wonderful ice blue one shoulder dress that I knew Edward would love. I had had to shorten it a little but it was going to be worth it.

I thought about what I had up my sleeve for after the play as we rode in the car to the theater. This wouldn't change Edward's mind completely but it would make his decision harder for him. It would also hurt him which was the part that I wasn't happy about.

We still weren't getting along and I was sick about it. I had never fought with him this long over anything; hell I had never fought with him at all. Not really. Yes, we had our sibling moments and those times when Edward's temper would flare for no reason but that he was mad at the world but nothing like this. I hated what this was doing to him but I couldn't just stand by and act like it was okay. He had to see reason.

I knew that it was a lot to give up. Even if I didn't remember my human life I knew that I must have had a family or someone somewhere. I could see how much Bella loved her parents and I had seen how much Chief Swan cared for her. But things were so different now than they had been that first day. We all knew her and Edward loved her and most importantly she wanted this. She had weighed the good and the bad and made her decision. How could he not honor that?

He would hate me if I went behind his back and had Carlisle do it as I had shown him. I knew that he would eventually forgive me but there would always be a distance between us that had never been there before and I couldn't abide by that unless I absolutely had to. Edward had always been my favorite. From the first moment that I had seen them even before we met I had known that we would be close. I loved Emmett but Edward made me feel less of a freak.

He understood what it was like to have to see things and hear things you didn't want to. He didn't judge me when it became too much watch the family all the time for slip ups and dangers and guest that were just stopping by. He listened to Jasper even when I knew that it made it harder for him just so that I didn't have to worry that I would miss something and Jasper would take a life. He was a good brother; the best and he deserved to be as happy as he had been with Bella before everything got shot to hell.

Why couldn't I make him see that? Why couldn't he understand that we all wanted to protect her and we all loved her but we just saw the bigger picture? We saw what his decision would do to them both and we didn't want to watch the pain. And I knew that I would. I wouldn't be able to stop it from repeating over and over in my head. Every day as she got worse and worse. That was what we were trying to avoid. Why didn't he get that?

"Is this it Alice?" Jasper asked as he turned onto the street that we needed.

"Yes, right over there." I pointed to the small little space that was showing the perfect musical. At least I hoped it would be perfect.

We walked in and I pulled Jasper to the side to make sure that he was going to be able to handle being in such a closed in space with all the people that would no doubt be there. He assured me that he would be fine and that if it became too much he would step out and wait in the car. I nodded, hating the idea of him missing this, and walked in to find our seat.

Emmett had gone in first and then Edward and Bella would be next to me. We were going to let Jasper have the aisle seat just in case. I squeezed Bella's hand and the lights went down as the curtain came up.

It was a touching play called "Dreamgirls" about three women that dreamed of being stars and the road that they took to get there. The music was amazing but there was one song that touched us the most. It was right before intermission and I saw Bella crying silently as the girl on stage begged her boyfriend not to leave her. It was as if Bella had written the words herself.

_And I am telling you  
I'm not going  
You're the best man I'll ever know  
There's no way I can ever, ever go  
No, no, no, no way  
No, no, no, no way I'm living without you  
Oh, I'm not living without you, not living without you  
I don't wanna be free  
I'm staying, I'm staying  
And you, and you, and you  
You're gonna love me_

I saw Edward pull something out and I could only guess that it was a tissue of some sort and hand it to her. His arm went around her and she leaned on his shoulder and I thought that he had finally gotten it. But as soon as the lights came back up then he set her aside and walked outside to get some air. I was so past frustrated with his attitude but I didn't let that deter me. The best part of the night was still to come.

We went to the restaurant after despite Bella's protest. She had a point about us eating but we had faked it before and we would again so I didn't see why it was a big deal. We sat down and Emmett of course began talking as soon as the waitress had taken our order.

"I didn't get it." He started in. "She went through all that crap to be famous and then walked away at the end."

"She didn't walk away Em" I explained. "She just decided to do it without the guy that had ruled her life. She wanted to be free to make her own decisions." I looked over at Edward but he wouldn't look at me.

I had a feeling that he knew what I had been trying to say with that play but he wasn't going to concede the point.

"Well, I still think she should have stayed with the group." Emmett was still going on. "Look at all the bad stuff that happened to the girl that got left behind. She barely had any money and she was all depressed. It wasn't right. They were supposed to be her friends and they just left her."

I wanted to reach over and kiss Emmett. He had pointed out everything that I had wanted Edward to get from the play and I didn't have to say a word.

"But it worked out in the end" Edward glared over at me. Of course he would see that. "She rebuilt her life and it was better than before."

"Yeah but with her friends help." Emmett laughed. "Think about it. They sang that song together and everything." I stuck my tongue out at Edward. It wasn't very mature but I wasn't feeling very mature at that moment anyway.

Bella's food came along with ours and we all pushed it around the plate but didn't eat anything. "I'm curious" Bella used her fork to motion to the whole table. "If you had to eat real food could you?"

We all laughed. It was such a human question. "Yes we can." I answered.

"But we would have to throw it up later." Jasper went on.

"And it's really gross" Emmett finished up.

"I see" Bella stuffed another fork full of manicotti into her mouth. "Taste good to me." She said when her mouth wasn't full.

This time we almost turned heads with how hard and loud we were laughing. How could Edward not see how well she fit in with us? She was perfect and we needed her so much.

"Pardon me" A tall and quite handsome man walked up behind Bella's chair. "Would you like to dance?"

She didn't say anything and we were all looking at her. Granted we all had different looks on our face. Jasper was looking almost sick as Bella flushed burnt red and Emmett looked shocked that someone would walk over to our table but Edward's express was the best. He looked ready to rip the guy's arms off and take Bella and leave.

"I don't dance" She was shaking her head and I rolled my eyes. This was never going to work if she didn't cooperate.

I kicked her under the table and she yelped in pain. "Bella, I'm sure this nice gentleman could help you." I said through my teeth.

She looked over at me and I winked quickly before the others could see. Unfortunately, not fast enough. I heard Edward's growl right before Jasper leaned in and whisper, "Did you do this?"

"Um, I would hate to step on your feet." Bella was starting to rise.

"Relax" He smiled at her. "It's all in the leading."

Edward stood too putting a restraining hand on her arm. "Bella you can't dance with him."

"Why not?" She asked innocently. "I thought this was what you wanted for me." She stared into his eyes and then turned abruptly and let the other guy lead her away.

Edward spun on me before she was two steps away. "What are you doing?"

"She's fine Edward" I let my joy show. This was going to be easy. "It's not like she's going off to Mexico with the guy. Their just dancing and we can see them from here."

"Alice" I heard the warning in his voice but I didn't stop.

"You wanted her to move on" I said. "Did you not think that one day she would meet someone else? That she would dance with someone else. That someone else would get to hold her and kiss her and be with her."

"But I don't need to see it." He almost screamed.

"Edward calm down." Jasper had a hand on him. People were staring at us.

"Jasper's right man" Emmett was pushing him back into his seat. "Just relax."

They all turned to watch as Bella danced with this new guy. She smiled as she did step on his toe and I heard them all laugh quietly. Emmett followed it up with a "that a girl" but they didn't move until he leaned in to say something in her ear. Then they all stood.

"Will you all sit back down?" I hissed. It was bad enough that my argument with Edward had drawn attention the last thing we needed was the three of them going over there and threatening him.

They listened to me but they didn't relax. Their eyes stayed glued to Bella as she moved around the floor. They watched every hand move and facial expression. When the song ended they watched as Bella started dancing with him again.

"Their dancing to another song?" Edward stood again ready to go over there.

"Maybe she likes him." I shrugged.

"Maybe you set this up" He was glaring at me. "Isn't it bad enough without all this? The play and the songs and the guy that has his hands all over her. Don't you think its bad enough without your interference?"

"Yes I do" I shocked him by agreeing. "But that doesn't change the fact that it's not about you Edward. This is about both of you; you and Bella, and the sooner you realize that the faster you can spare all of us the pain that will come with your decision."

"Exactly" He growled. "My decision; not yours!"

"And apparently not Bella's either" I whispered. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of yelling as I wanted too.

He stood there looking at me waiting for me to say something else or do something else but I didn't. Quietly, without another word or glance at Bella, he left the restaurant.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Bella POV_

I saw Edward leave and it broke my heart again. It seemed like all I was getting these days was one broken heart after another. Emmett came over a few seconds later to cut in on my dance with the guy who had explain that Alice had paid him to make Edward jealous. That both made me feel better and worse. Did she not think that I could attract someone on my own? Who was I kidding? Of course I couldn't.

We all left shortly after that and went back to the hotel. I didn't ask what happened with Edward and they didn't tell me. I didn't hope that it was anything good because I knew that if it was he wouldn't have left. I went to my room wishing everyone good night and went inside.

I took a shower, needing twenty extra minutes to get all the goop out of my hair, put on my pajamas and climbed into bed. I didn't think that I would be able to sleep but the next thing I knew I was waking up. I looked at the clock to see that it was only three in the morning and turned back over to sleep and that was when I saw him.

He was sitting so still he could have been a statue. He didn't blink or breath or anything just stared at me. "What do you want Edward?" I was tired and I didn't want to go through it all again.

"You" He said without any preamble. "I just want you."

"For how long?" My heart cried.

"Forever" He said and I was amazed that I could hear it. "But it wouldn't be right."

"I don't care about right or wrong or any of that."

"You say that now but you have no idea how fast it goes. Soon you will hate me for taking you away from everything, for stealing the life away from you that you could have had."

"I could never hate you."

He moved then coming closer and sitting on the edge of the bed. "You're so beautiful and loving and I don't deserve you but God help me I can't stay away from you either."

"Then don't" I sat up just as he leaned toward me.

We were kissing before he laid me back against the pillows. His hands so gentle against the sides of my body. I had missed this so much. My arms wrapped around his neck trying to pull him closer. I never wanted us to stop. His lips moved to my cheek and my neck and my ear. He was kissing me everywhere and I was drowning it the feel of him.

"Just let me hold you." He whispered right against my ear. "Just let me hold you one more night."

I wanted to scream yes but there was something in the way he said that that made me pause. "What do you mean?"

"Just give me tonight, please."

"And what about tomorrow?"

"I don't want to think about tomorrow. I just need you tonight." His lips were moving again and my mind was spiraling away from me but I stopped and pushed against him.

"What happened tomorrow Edward?"

"Tomorrow I take you home."

"To Florida or to Forks?"

"Bella" The anguish he put into my name tore at my heart. "I can't."

"You would stay with me tonight and then leave me tomorrow?" I realized as I said it that this might be all that I was ever going to get from him but it wouldn't be enough. It wouldn't be nearly enough. "How is that fair? How can you ask that of me?"

"Because it hurts too much to not touch you, to not hold you" He reached for me but I moved out of his grasp. "Bella I need you."

"For tonight."

"It's like the song said, 'one night only, one night only, that's all I have to give'." His eyes pleaded with me.

"But it isn't Edward." I was shaking my head. I could feel the tears in my eyes but I didn't look away. He needed to understand what he was doing to me.

"You have so many nights. You have every night that there is left in this world and your only willing to give me one? How can you make that make sense? How can you think that is okay when you love me? Maybe it's selfish of me but I don't want just one night. I want them all and I want them all with you."

"If I could" His voice caught and I had the feeling that if he could he would be crying too. "If I could be human for you Bella I would do it. Whatever the price I would pay it."

"Then why won't you let me pay the price to be with you? To be like you?" I hoped that he was hearing me.

"Because it's too high" He was shaking his head. "I'm not worth it."

"Then that's just one more thing we disagree on." I shrugged. "You should go."

"Bella…"

"Please."

He didn't say anything just got up and walked to the door. "I'm not worth you life Bella." He paused with the door open. "I'm not worth your soul." I didn't hear the door close but when I looked back he was gone.

I fell on the bed in tears. I could still smell the sweetness of him in the sheets and it only made me cry harder. I was going to lose him and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I could have Alice change me but he would resent me for the rest of eternity. This was it. Come tomorrow I would be all alone. There was nothing more I could do.

**AN: This is going to be a quick note because I have a lot to share on the next one. So on with the show. PS. Don't forget to review :).**


	18. Chapter 17: Sweet Surrender

**CHAPTER 17: Sweet Surrender**

_Edward POV_

I was in hell. I always knew that I would end up here but I just expected to have to be ripped apart and burned first. However, I would gladly trade driving into Florida for the chance to be ripped apart and burned; because it would have to hurt less than what I was feeling now.

Things had gone from bad to worse since I had left Bella last night. I hadn't gone to Emmett's room but out for a run. I had run all the way back to Tennessee and still felt awful. Then this morning packing the car back up knowing that this was the last that I might see Bella had been like jabbing me with hot pokers but when she had decided to ride with Alice and Emmett instead of me she might as well have pulled my dead heart right out of my chest. We only had so long together and she didn't even want to spend our last hours together. I had been three seconds from grabbing her and making a break for it.

I wanted to go anywhere but where we were headed. Anywhere that would be far away from this place. I would swim with her across the Atlantic if it meant that I could have just a few more days with her. I remember when we had first started out I had been worried that I wouldn't last one day with her in the car and now I knew that I wouldn't last one hour without her in it.

Everyone had been right. I wasn't going to be able to do this. I wasn't going to be able to walk away from her. To go back to my lonely existence; watching my siblings and my parents enjoy their beloved knowing that mine was across the world from me. I couldn't exist like that. She had changed too much.

But what then? Change her into a monster? Take away all that she has and all that she could have just because of my selfish desires? That didn't seem right but right and wrong were meaning less and less to me the closer we got to Jacksonville; the closer I got to losing Bella.

What if I moved here? I wouldn't be able to go outside during the day but as long as I could be with her would I care about that? No, I wouldn't. Still, how long before she became sick of only seeing me at night when her family was fast asleep and she should be too. I would be pulling her into the darkness anyway with that plan almost as surely as I would if I changed her.

Could I take her back to Forks with me and spend her life with her? Not change her but stay with her until her time on this earth has past and then join her in whatever there was that awaited me. Would she be open to that? A compromise of sorts. I would get to keep her and she would get to keep her soul. We could be happy, I could make her happy, at least until she started to yearn for something more. Until she realized all that I was keeping her from. Once she did could I have the strength to let her go?

I saw the vision again in my head. A laughing Bella who looked so young and carefree leaning against me and my smile radiate because of her. Only this time I saw her human and not pale and yellowed eyed. I would be content and happy just to be with her but would she feel the same for me? Would she be willing to only sacrifice a little so that we could stay together?

I would ask. I could do that. It would not be too much to ask. To explain my feelings and hope that she would be willing to give a little. Bella was a reasonable person and she had accepted everything about us so easily surely this would just be one more thing to accept and we could be happy and together. She could see the logic in that. But what if she didn't though?

What if I explain myself to her and she still doesn't understand; could I do it? Could I damn her to this? Would she hate me one day when she sees all that she gave up for me? When she realizes that I wasn't worth it? I wouldn't be able to shoulder her hatred over something that is preventable now.

I saw the sign that announced our destination. We had made it and I had only minutes to decide. Only minutes to make peace with losing her or keeping her. I wished for the millionth time that she was next to me. That I could reach out and hold her hand, look into her eyes, feel her warmth, anything to make this easier. But she wasn't with me and if I didn't choose right she never would be again.

We pulled up to the hotel that Bella's mother should have been in and I thanked God that they had an underground parking lot. When we got out there was a somber mood around all of us. No one was joking, not even Emmett, we all just walked to the lobby and waited as Alice checked everyone in. She asked what room Bella's mom and stepfather were in but they hadn't checked in yet.

I carried Bella's things up to our floor and down to her room all the while debating how I might approach her. I wanted to do it just right so that it didn't end up like last night but lately everything I said to her came out wrong.

When we reached her door she stopped and turned to face me. Neither of us said anything until the rest of my family had gone into their rooms. I started to speak but she cut me off.

"Thank you Edward." She was smiling at me.

"For what?" I put her bags down beside me.

"For protecting me and sharing this amazing road trip with me but mostly for loving me."

"Always"

"I'll never forget you." I saw the tear fall out of her eye and she was in my arms before it left her face.

"Bella" I could say no more. My lips found hers and I was pulling her closer to me than I had planned. I had just enough presence of mind to remember to be gentle but just barely. I reached behind her breaking the lock to the door and carrying her in. Before I knew anything we were floating down on the bed, Bella clasp tightly to me.

She pulled at my shirt and I ripped it off rather than stop kissing her. I could feel her hands running up and down my back and the feel of it was like giving a dying man air. Her shirt quickly joined mine in pieces as my mouth moved down her body. She was beautiful and loving and everything that I could ever want in another but most importantly she was mine and she would stay mine.

"Edward" She breathed my name and I looked up into her face and everything became so clear.

It didn't matter what I had done in the past or what I had to do to keep her I would do it. I might not be worth it but she was worth it. She was worth it all. She was everything to me and I couldn't go through eternity without her. I couldn't begin every day without her beside me or spend one more night without her in my arms. Everyone had been right and I had been so stubborn but not anymore. When I left Florida Bella would be by my side.

"Bella" I sat up pulling her with me. "I'm sorry."

She looked down. "That's okay. I understand if you don't want to."

She had gotten it wrong again. How could we be so close and keep misunderstanding each other? "No Bella, I want to. Believe me I want to but we need to talk."

"It's fine Edward" She placed her hand on the side of my face. "You've made your choice and I love you enough to respect that even if I don't agree with it. I'll just have to hope that one day you come back to me."

I was humbled. Here I had pushed her almost completely away and still she trusted me and had faith that things would work out. I didn't come close to deserving her but I was going to work at it even if it took the rest of forever. I was going to hold on to her for as long as I could, for as long as she would let me.

"Bella you have it all wrong." I put my hand over hers holding them both against my chest where my heart should have been beating. "I love you. I love you so much and I was apologizing for all that I have done over the last few days."

"I was wrong. I was so wrong to think that I could last one day, one hour, one minute without you with me. Just the thought of leaving you here is so painful there aren't words to describe it. You mean everything to me."

She launched herself at me wrapping her warm body around my cold one and kissing me harder than before. I didn't want to stop her but I was so close to losing control. I had been brought up to respect women and what goes between a man and a woman. If I were destined to destroy her soul the least I could do was leave her virtue intact. There would be plenty of time to indulge in every fantasy I could imagine but now wasn't it.

"Bella we have to stop." I reached up to un-wrap her arms from around my neck. I needed to put some space between us before I cast all my noble intentions out the window.

"Why? I thought you said you wanted to."

"I do but Bella I could lose control and hurt you without thinking about it." I didn't want to think it but I knew that it could happen and I was too cowardly to admit the real reason. "I can't take that chance with you."

She didn't say anything but leaned into me and put her arms around my waist. It was like she finally understood and we were on the same page. I pulled us both so that I was leaning against the head board and she was leaning against me. I knew that I should pull the comforter between us so that she didn't get cold but I didn't want to. Just because I was trying to resist the wine didn't mean that I couldn't enjoy the bouquet and the feel of her this close to me was addicting. It made the choice more real. That I would be here lying with her like this.

"Are you two just going to leave the bags out here all night?" Emmett said opening the door. I reacted faster that Bella could see covering her up. Bella's body was just for me and my brother didn't need to see any of it. "And what happened to the door?"

He walked in and stopped, the bags dropping. He's mouth was wide open and for the first time ever he was speechless. Even his thoughts were blank. I felt the heat from Bella's face and I knew that she was embarrassed but there was no reason to be. We belonged together and nothing was wrong with us being as close as we could without her getting hurt.

"I broke the lock."

"You broke the lock?" Bella was looking up at me. "When did you do that? Why did you do that?"

"I was in a hurry" I explained smiling crookedly at her and if possible she turned redder.

I looked over to see Emmett still standing there staring at us. "Emmett could you please go" I asked when it looked like he wasn't going to leave.

"Hmm" He blinked and shook himself out of it. "Leave, yeah right." He was completely flustered. "I'll get the door." _'Bout time you got some Eddie._

I should have known that the shock would wear off eventually. He closed the door behind him and Bella sat up clutching the comforter to her chest. "Do you think he's going to tell the others?"

I smiled at her worried face. If she was going to be part of my life and part of this family then she was going have to get over wondering what they all thought or knew. "Love, Alice probably already saw it before anything happened and Jasper more than likely felt the emotions. So I would say that they already know."

"Ugh" she buried her face in my chest.

I laughed lightly while stroking her hair. "I'm sorry but its hard keeping things quiet in the Cullen family. Between my mind reading, Alice's visions, and Jasper feeling everyone's emotion it just doesn't make sense to even try."

"That's going to take some getting us to." She looked up. "Good thing I'll have forever to try."

I flinched when she mentioned it. "What's wrong?" Her face went from content to concern.

"Nothing" I didn't want to ruin the moment and if I voiced my thoughts I knew that I would. Just because I couldn't live without her didn't mean that I was comfortable with what that decision was going to cost her. We had known each other two weeks and she was ready to give up her life for me but that didn't mean that I was ready to let her. It still seemed extremely selfish but I couldn't leave her and I wouldn't last if she left me.

"Tell me" She pushed.

"Just let it go"

"No" She pulled back from me. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath. "It still seems wrong to me and completely selfish."

"What does?"

"Letting you give up your life just to be with me."

"It doesn't have to be tomorrow Edward" she was shaking her head and smiling at me. "I know that it's going to be hard and to do it now would be to rush into it. But I just needed to know that you wanted me with you. I can wait a while until you're ready."

"I'm never going to be ready to take away your soul?" And I was scared she wouldn't stay with me if I didn't.

"What makes you think that you would be taking away my soul?"

"We're vampires Bella. Creatures of the night. By all accounts, we're damned."

"Well I don't believe that." She was amazing. Sitting there challenging me to disagree with her. "I look at you and at Alice and Jasper and Emmett and I see souls in each of you. You're kind and generous and accepting. You risked everything to protect me and the way that Alice and Jasper love each other and the joy that flows out of Emmett. I'm sorry but you can't convince me that none of you have a soul."

She sounded so positive that I almost believed her. Carlisle had always believed that we didn't lose our soul. That we still had a chance at heaven but I had always been sure that those gates were closed to us. I had always attributed it to the fact that he had never embraced the monster within. But I had. I had taken lives and drank from the worst of mankind. How could there be redemption for me?

Yet laying here looking at the angel that somehow looked at me and saw nothing but good in what I was I found myself believe that Carlisle was right. That there was a heaven for us right here on earth. That there was forgiveness and peace and joy and that the redemption came in learning to share those feelings with someone else. How could I not when that was exactly what Bella had brought into my life?

"You are amazing" I kissed her gently. "You make me believe in things that I never thought I would."

"Good" she kissed me back. "So no more worrying about my soul?"

"Not a chance. I'm going to worry about that and your heart and all of you and I plan on protecting each and every one of them for all eternity." As long as she would have me, I thought.

"I guess I can live with that."

I pulled her closer to me and resumed kissing her. I could spend forever in this moment. There could be nothing better but I heard my sisters thought outside the door.

_Edward, Bella's mother just got here and she is going to come looking for her in fifteen minutes._ She sounded as if we were over the rift between us and I was glad. _Did you need the seconds too?_

I groaned against Bella's mouth. _I'll take that as a no but you two are going to want to get up and put on tops. Also you need to switch rooms with Emmett because of the door. Her mother is going to notice it. Not that it's hard to miss but still, that will open up a whole other can of worms. And you probably shouldn't be there when she knocks because she is going to have a hard enough time understanding the last two weeks and Bella going back with us without the added concern about her relationship with you. Speaking of I am so glad that you changed your mind._ She was rambling now_. And I'm sorry that we were fighting. I hate fighting with you but now everything is okay and Bella and I are going to be sisters for real and I can take her shopping and do her hair and we can have…._

"Alice" I hissed.

"Did you just call me your sister?" Bella was looking at me strangely.

"No" I closed my eyes. "I was trying to get her to shut up."

_That's not very nice Edward_, she huffed_. All I did was come to warn you. I could have burst in like Emmett but no. I stayed on this side of the door so really you should be happy with me. I don't get it. We just get over the biggest fight we have ever had and here you are ready to start a new one. Really Edward, what is wrong…._

"I'm going to tape her mouth shut so help me." I rolled Bella to the side and went to the door. "I got it Alice and thank you we will be prepared so you can go now."

_Fine, I'll be in my room if Bella_, she stressed the word_, needs me. _

"What was that about?"

"You're mother is on the way and Alice thinks it will be better if you're in Emmett's room instead of this one because of the door." I explained.

She laughed. "That would be hard to explain. Okay then let's go." She got up and walked toward me.

"Umm Bella"

"Yeah"

"You might want to put on a shirt."

She looked down and her whole body blushed. I had never wanted her more and it had nothing to do with the blood I could see pulsing up under her skin. She made me laugh and smile and brought so much to my life. I crossed over to where she was pulling clothes out of her bag and began kissing her again. I was never going to get my fill of having her in my arms.

_Twelve minutes Edward_, Alice called out_. I don't know why I bother._

I laughed again. "Get dressed. I'll be outside." As I walked to the door I realized that life with Bella plus my family was never going to be dull or easy but it was going to be worth it.

**AN: Sorry this might be a chapter in itself. LOL/JK Okay on I have a few new things on my blog. First off I have a slideshow of all the different places in the story. Be sure to go by and check it out. Then I am starting a read-a-long sort of thing. I picked three stories that are WIP but that come highly recommended and I have the links to them on the blog. I am hoping some of you might be interested in reading along with me and I can post different takes or questions on the blog about the stories and you can respond in the comments. Let me know what you think. Again that blog address is mztspot (dot) blogspot (dot) com.**

**Finally, I am doing a one-shot contest and it is strongly suggested that we have our work beta'd before we submit it. I am going to apply over at Project Team Beta but being that I waited until almost the last minute I was wondering if any of you, dear readers, are betas and wouldn't mind taking a look at what I have.**

**That's it for this week. Only a few more chapters left so please review so I know if you have enjoyed this story.**

**See ya next week.**


	19. Chapter 18: Lifetimes

**CHAPTER 18: Lifetimes**

_Edward POV_

I laid there more relaxed than I had ever been in any existence that I had ever had. I couldn't believe that this slip of a girl that I had known for less than a month had changed my life so much. It was like I wasn't whole unless we were together. How funny was it that the one thing my family had been right about was the one thing I wish they were wrong about.

Not that I wasn't happy. I was beyond ecstatic but I still hated the idea of taking Bella's soul away. She deserved so much more than anything that I could offer her. So much more than the life that she was choosing but I didn't have the strength to deny her anymore. Just the thought of one day without her was enough to make me plan a trip to Italy right now.

I breathed her in wondering how her scent had lost its appeal to me. I would always crave it but it was different now. I craved her, her body and her mind, so much more than her blood. I loved her so much that it was like my body was repelling any thought that might cause her pain. Maybe that was why I was so opposed to her changing just to be with me.

I knew the pain that she would be subjecting herself to. The agony that she would have to endure for three days and I knew the torture that would cause me. To sit helplessly as my Bella transformed from an angel with a soul to a monster damned for all eternity. To watch as the warmth of her body slid away and was replaced by the cold marble exterior that marks us all. Who does that to someone that they love?

Still even with that thought I couldn't make myself rethink my decision. The alternative, leaving her here, hurt too much. Jasper had been right. A couple of days would have turned into years by her side and I never would have returned to Forks or any other place that Bella wasn't. She was my whole world and there was no way that I could be anywhere without her.

I didn't want to think about what was to come or never having Bella in my life anymore so I tuned into Alice's thoughts as she helped Bella get ready for her mother. I laughed to myself thinking about Alice's proclamation on that first day of how Bella was her best friend and now listening to the two of them I could believe that Alice was right. This is why you never bet against Alice. They really had become so close; way closer than Alice and Rosalie. It was strange the happiest that I felt about that. Despite our recent battles I loved Alice so dearly. She was my confident and the best sister anyone could ask for and I loved Bella more than anything. Deep down I wanted them to be close and I wanted them to be happy. Actually seeing how well Bella fit into my family both thrilled me and terrified me but I had to remember that she hadn't met everyone.

I wasn't worried about Esme or Carlisle. One look at my face and Esme would welcome her with arms wide open. She has been so worried about me for so long. Thinking that Carlisle changed me to young or that maybe something was wrong with me because I couldn't find a mate and all the while I just needed to wait for her to be born and grow into the loving, beautiful and selfless person she was today.

Carlisle would be concerned about the fact that she's human and what changing her would mean. How we would handle her family and the fact that we would be changing someone from Forks against the treaty that we signed so long ago with the Quileute Indians. We would probably have to move before we even considered biting Bella. Yet despite his worries and concerns he would feel the same as Esme and would welcome Bella without question.

No, the family member that I would have to watch would be Rosalie. I didn't for one minute believe Emmett's claims that she had calmed down. I could see his thoughts about their conversations and I knew that she was just as mad if not more so as when I had first pulled Bella away from that van. Sure she wouldn't hurt Bella physically thanks to Carlisle's injunction but that wouldn't stop her from making little remarks and snide comments directed at causing Bella pain.

So I would just have to watch out for her and keep Rosalie as far away from Bella in the beginning as possible. I wouldn't let her ruin this for me and I really wouldn't let her upset Bella. After all she was giving up everything so that the two of us could be together. For that alone I would protect her with my life.

Which also brought forth the question of where do we go from here. Bella had said that she didn't need to be changed tomorrow or anything close to that; that she was willing to wait but how long. Could I get at least five or ten years before she asked me to take her soul away? And if I could then would I take her back to her father's house and just see her at school and on Friday and Saturday nights like we were two normal teenagers dating. Would I pick her up with her father reminding me of her curfew and then take her to dinner where I wouldn't eat and a movie theater that would be dark and tempting? What where the rules when you were a creature of darkness dating a human goddess?

_What is she doing…..how could Charlie….I hope…..alright_, I listened to a broken mind getting closer to the room that Bella was in. I noted that Alice had left her alone to face her mother and I wondered if these thoughts were hers. _Should have come home……why did I…..failed again_.

I heard a knock on the door and Bella's warm voice speaking. This was her mother, interesting. Her thoughts were so fuzzy. Was this why Bella was so silent? Thinking back I remembered Chief Swan's mind from the accident. His hadn't been all that clear either. Could two hazy parents equal a distant daughter? And if so did that mean I would never hear her thoughts? I wanted to but I knew it would embarrass Bella and I would never want to do anything that made her uncomfortable. I would do anything in this world for her especially considering what she was willing to do for me.

Again my mind strayed to all my Bella was giving up to spend eternity with me. Would she wish that she had made a different decision one day or would she always want to be with me? I would do everything I could to make sure that she never regretted her choice.

I heard my sibling before they walked in. I was contemplating all the wonderful places I could still take Bella as the door opened. I could tell by the smiles on their faces and the tone of their thoughts that Alice had filled them in on the resolution that had been reached and all our feuds were over.

"Damn Edward" Emmett hoped on the bed next to me. "You would think that after you broke the door to get her in here you could have at least put a dent in this thing. I know she's human but you've waited like a hundred years. No one could be that gentle."

"Nothing happened Emmett" I pushed him off the bed.

"Sure" He prompted his head up on the bed. "Must I mention the door again? And I also saw both you and Bella and you were a bit unclothed shall we say."

"Really Eddie" He continued while Alice and Jasper did nothing but laugh. "Not only sleeping with a human but taking advantage of her virtue without being married. I for one am shocked and appalled. What would your human parents say? What about Carlisle and Esme? They raised you better than this." He was shaking his head as if I had committed some sort of crime, like I wasn't there with him and Rosalie and the decade long sexapade.

"Again Emmett, nothing happened." I hissed.

"Edward come on." Jasper jumped on the bandwagon. "The sexual vibes coming from this room had me grabbing for Alice." That was a mental image I had seen one too many times and didn't need to again. "Thanks for that by the way." He raised his eyebrows at me just as Alice swatted at his shoulder.

"Alice will you please help me out and tell them that nothing happened." I knew if they didn't believe me they would have to believe her.

"I would love to Edward but as Jazz has pointed out I was a little preoccupied" She smiled shyly. "Plus I did try my best not to look when I realized that it was going to be a private moment. Just like you don't want to hear it, I don't want to see it."

"Thanks Alice" I wasn't sure if I was thanking her for the privacy or making fun of her lack of help.

"No problem" She apparently assumed it was for the privacy.

"Alright" Emmett stood going over to sit in the seat next to Alice and Jasper. "Even if you didn't do anything that still doesn't explain the door. Couldn't you wait Edward?"

I didn't have to look at the door to know that I had mangled the knob and basically destroyed the lock. "It was an accident."

"And how are we going to explain that?" Emmett asked.

"Forget about how are we going to explain it." Jasper spoke before he had completed his question. "How are we going to fix it?"

No one said anything but we all turned to Alice knowing that she would have the answer. "Why are you all staring at me?" She looked surprised and her thoughts didn't register any ideas or visions of the door being fixed.

"Because you can see how we do it." Emmett explained.

She huffed. "Outcomes people, outcomes." She crossed her arms over her chest. "You would think after fifty years you would know that by now. Someone has to make a decision about how to fix it and then I can tell you if it will work or not. Must I explain this all the time?"

"Okay, how about we call a locksmith" I suggested and we all turned back to Alice.

Her eyes closed and she saw the future that decision would bring. "He'll be able to fix it but you will still have to come up with and explanation for the hotel and they won't be pleased. It might be better to just let them fix it and pay for the damages because I see them having it redone after we leave."

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" Emmett huffed back at her.

"Because I couldn't see it before…." She stopped herself and I could feel Jasper's calming effect on her as well as see that Emmett was just teasing her.

"It was just a joke honey" Jasper whispered in her ear before placing a light kiss on her cheek.

There was a time that small show of affection might have made me jealous or lonely but not now. Now I had Bella and the only thing seeing my siblings affection for each other did was make me want to go down to the room that she was in and pull her into my arms. It had been hours since she left and although I knew I should give her all the time she needed with her mother I missed her.

"Let her be Edward." Alice warned. "She needs time to comfort her mother and explain. Remember she has to say goodbye."

I flinched again at the reminder of all that Bella would be losing; all that I would be taking her from.

"She understands what she is doing" Alice comforted me. "There is no need to worry."

"How can you say that Alice?" All my concerns came back with a vengeance. "How can it be okay if she has to give up so much to be with me? If I love her shouldn't I be giving her things not taking her away from them?"

"You are" She went on. "You are giving her love and companionship and a family that will stay with her and love her forever."

"Not all of them" I looked over at Emmett.

"Don't worry about Rose" He assured me. "Carlisle told her not to touch Bella."

"That doesn't mean she won't say things to make her feel uncomfortable."

"I'll talk to her." Emmett smiled. "She may not like it but she won't want to hurt the family."

"You sure?"

"Trust me Edward." He nodded.

I relaxed slightly but not all the way. There was still the fact that I was taking something I had no right to take. That was something I would never feel right about no matter how many years we had together. Even if we lived forever I would always know that she deserved better than what she had chosen.

"Edward you're still nervous" Jasper acknowledged.

"I can't help it." I voiced my concerns. "No matter how you spin this I am still destroying Bella's soul, damning her to this existence, and taking something I have no right to want all so that I don't have to lose her. That is never going to feel right to me."

"I love her and I want her to be happy that is part of why I agreed to this but that doesn't mean that I am okay with it. Sure everyone was right about the fact that I can't be without her but still, shouldn't I try. Doesn't she deserve a chance at normal? A chance to find someone that she doesn't have to change to be with."

"It's different for her." It seemed like now that I had started I wasn't able to stop. "She's not sick or dying. She can have a long, boring, safe human life and I'm robbing her of that. How is that fair? How can I say that I love her when I just agreed to kill her?"

"You didn't agree to kill her" Alice of course was the first to speak. "You agreed to share your life with her for as long as you live. You let her know that you loved her enough to never want a day on this earth without her."

"And Edward I wasn't dying or sick when I was changed and at first I wished that I had just been left to grow old and die. But then I met Alice and I wouldn't trade one day of my life with her for all the lifetimes in the world." Jasper added in.

Alice leaned over and kissed him before she spoke. "I don't think I was dying either but I can't be sure considering I don't remember." She shrugged. "But I know that this life isn't always all doom and gloom as you seem to want to make it. So just relax and trust your feelings and Bella's."

"Their right Edward." Emmett had come to sit by me. "Things are different now that you have Bella and like I said before it would be great if we all had lived during each other's times but we didn't. You're making the best out of what you have and you're giving Bella all that you have to give, an eternity with the man that she loves and who adores her. What could be better than that?"

"Well said Em" Alice smiled at him. "Things will work out Edward." She tapped her head. " Have I ever let you down before?"

I knew that she hadn't. I had to believe them all because I wouldn't be able to take it if one day Bella hated me because I wasn't strong enough to let her go.

_She's waiting for you Edward_, I saw Bella standing in Emmett's room gazing out a window. The sadness in her eyes tore at my chest and made my dead heart cringe in pain. I stood almost running toward the only person that I would ever need_. Try not to break the door this time. We would never be able to get anyone to understand two locks no matter how hard we tried._

I laughed at Alice in my head but said nothing out loud. I walked into the room and Bella turned to me with tear streaks along her face. "Bella" I wanted to tell her that we could stay or that she didn't have to do this but she cut me off.

"It's okay" She smiled and held out her hand for me. I crossed the room in record time taking her into my arms and kissing along her scalp. "It's okay."

"You shouldn't have to do this." I wanted to give her a second chance to change her mind.

"Yes I do." She leaned back to look into my eyes. "I love you Edward. One lifetime just isn't enough for me."

I smiled down before kissing her lightly. I might not agree with what she was giving up but I did agree with that. One lifetime with Bella would never be enough. I wasn't sure eternity would be enough.

So as I stood there holding my silly little sacrificial lamb in my arms I finally relaxed. She would be mine soon just as I was hers and always would be. I would give her everything there was to give. I would make this up to her however I could and I would make sure that she never once wished for more than she would have with me no matter how many lifetimes it took.

**AN: One more chapter to go. So without further ado, please review :).**


	20. Chapter 19: More Than Ready

**CHAPTER 19: More Than Ready**

_Bella POV_

"Now that I know what you are I am being to understand why you don't live someplace like Florida." I was leaning my head against Edward's chest as he played with my hair.

"What do you mean, love?"

"I would hate the sun too if I couldn't go out in it." I explained. We were waiting for the sun to go down so I could go met up with my mother.

"We don't hate the sun." He chuckled. "Matter of fact we happen to love it."

"You do?" I turned to look into his eyes.

He nodded a quick yes. "It's just that if we go out in the sun around others we would cause a bit of an uproar."

"Because of the catching on fire?"

He laughed at me and kissed my nose. "Silly Bella, those are just myths. The sun doesn't hurt us."

"Then why can't you go out in it?" This didn't make sense.

"I'll show you someday." He leaned down and kissed me and I forgot any question that I might have had.

There was nothing better than kissing Edward. Feeling his cool hard lips shape themselves around my warm soft ones. It was amazing to think that he could be so gentle and still so passionate. I knew that he wanted more but he kept himself to light kisses and small touches. Not that I would have minded going further than we were. I loved him and would spend eternity in his arms. What difference did it make how close we were now?

"Edward" I pouted as he pulled away with a chuckle.

"Bella, we can't" I could see the pained expression on his face. "I promised never to hurt you and I intend to keep that promise."

"But you wouldn't be hurting me." I reached for him again but he held me still.

"Bella I could so easily hurt you. I have to concentrate every time I touch you so that I'm not to ruff. If I wasn't thinking I could crush you are worse and it's too hard to think when you're in my arms."

I sulked but I understood. He was being a gentleman and I should appreciate the care and respect that he was showing me. So I leaned back against his shoulder again and he went back to playing with my hair.

"Two more days and then we are heading back to Forks." He reminded me. "Is that going to be enough time?"

I didn't respond right away, I didn't have to. I knew that Edward understood or at least worried about my saying goodbye to my mother. The first day had been unbearable. I had almost changed my mind about leaving as she had cried and yelled at me for scaring her. She had made me call Charlie while we were talking and he had been just as upset. Apparently it had taken him two days to find my note and he wasn't happy with the fact that it had taken me two weeks to get to Florida. He also wanted to know how I had driven to Florida when my truck was still in his driveway. I had no answers for either of them. I couldn't very well tell them about the Cullen's but Charlie already suspected. Not only had the rest of the Cullen's had left town not to long after I had but Billy Black had put some thoughts into my father's head about my association with them. Apparently that just added fuel to the fire and his suspicions grew from there.

I explained that I had asked Alice to drive me and she had agreed. I wasn't sure if this made my disappearance better or worse but I knew that Alice would see what I was saying and she would back me up. I also made sure that he knew that the Cullen disappearance had nothing to do with mine. That didn't make things better but when I told him that I had been sending in all my school work and that I would be on my way back soon he seemed more at ease.

I had spent the next few days with Renee. I was able to see Phil pitch his first game for his new team and help her start house hunting. She tried her best to convince me that I should move out here but my mind was made up. I had Alice join us one night for dinner and she absolutely loved her and apologized for my taking her away from her family. Alice just smiled and said it was no problem and she would do anything for her best friend and that I was more like a sister to her since she considered me family. All and all, the time with Renee had been great and just want I needed to be able to bid this part of my old life goodbye.

Now I needed to face my new life. I knew that Edward wasn't ready to make me immortal like he was and I was okay with that. I didn't know if I was ready either. Just because I wanted to spend eternity with him didn't mean that I was done doing all that I wanted. I needed to graduate from high school and maybe college. I wanted to spend more time with Charlie even though I wasn't sure if that was the best idea of not. The closer we got the harder it will be when I have to go away. Maybe it would be better to distance myself from him now but I couldn't see going back to Forks and not being with Charlie.

Not that I could see going back to Forks and not being with Edward. If he were to decide that he was going to move to Alaska with the rest of his family then I would have to go too. We were a part of each other now and there was no way that we could be apart ever again. He meant too much to me and I would never let him go.

"Bella?" I had forgotten what he asked.

"I'm sorry, what did you ask?" I blushed a deep scarlet.

"I asked if two more days was going to be enough time with your mother."

I wanted to tell him no, that I wasn't ready never see my mother again but also knew that there would never be a good time to leave so I lied.

"Yes, that will be fine."

"Bella, you don't have to do this if you're not ready." He was rubbing my back now. "I can wait."

"What does that mean?" If he was trying to back out of our deal I would find a way to hurt him.

"It means that if you want more time with your mother that's okay."

"Are you trying to leave me again?" I sat up in bed and stared him down.

He smiled at me. "No, love. I plan to never leave you again but I also don't want you to be unhappy. So if you wanted more time with your mother I would just send Alice back with Jasper and Emmett and I would stay with you until you were ready."

"But what about your family?" I couldn't believe that he would stay away from his family even longer just to be with me. "And the sun?"

"My family would understand and the sun wouldn't bother me as long as I stayed inside during the day." He reached for me and I slide back into his arms.

"Like a regular vampire?" I joked.

"More or less." He went back to rubbing my back.

"I can't take you away from your family any longer." I assured him. "As it is they must be missing you terribly."

"I'm sure they are but Bella" he put his hands on both sides of my face. "My place is wherever you are and my job is to protect you and make sure you're happy. Besides I've had a century with my family and you've had seventeen years with yours. Out of the two of us I think you are making the bigger sacrifice."

"I don't see it that way." I told.

"No you wouldn't." He shook his head and I didn't say anything. "So did you need more time?"

"As sweet as that is I'm never going to be alright with leaving my mother but I know she will be okay." I let him know. "Phil is a great guy and he'll take care of her and make sure that she doesn't do anything to crazy. So yes it's okay to go in two days."

"You're sure?" He questioned again. "I really don't mind staying."

"I'm sure."

"Okay" He kissed my lightly and went back to playing with my hair.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two days later I found myself not on the road back to Forks but on my way to Disney World. Despite all the protest against it Alice wouldn't let us leave Florida without seeing the greatest place on Earth. Of course we had to wait until the park was almost closed but that didn't seem to faze her or Emmett. They ran around like two kids in a candy store jumping from ride to ride and I hated to admit it but I had a great time.

It also helped to be with the world's strongest man, a psychic, and a mind-reader. They knew exactly when the rides would be less full and Emmett was able to win everything. Edward and Jasper didn't do badly either and we ended up leaving with a van full of stuffed animals and toys, penance for Rosalie and Esme according to Emmett.

After we left there we went back to Jacksonville to say goodbye to my mom once again. Edward kept asking if I wanted to stay but I assured him over and over again that it was okay. I didn't think he believed me but he didn't say anything more about it.

In the end we had to stay three more days in Florida thanks to the sun. I never did find out what happens when they go out in the sun but I would wait. I also didn't find out why we couldn't have just left at night but Alice warned against it and as I was learning everyone trusted Alice. They had a standing joke about how no one bet against her.

I personally think that we ended up staying so that she could shop a little more because it seemed that the sun didn't stop her from finding a mall with underground parking and tinted windows. She drug me with her and proceeded to spend a ridiculous amount of money on clothes for me, Jasper, Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Esme and Carlisle. I asked her at one point why if she was so into clothes she didn't design them herself and she just laughed.

"I have patience for design. I would have to figure out the look that I wanted and then make the pattern, cut it out and sew the clothes. I'm more of an instant gratification girl. Which means it's easier to just go get what I want." She shrugged after that. "Although that doesn't mean that I won't try one day. That's the great thing about eternity. You have plenty of time to try new things."

She was right. I had always thought that I would go to college, graduate and become an English teacher but with eternity before me I could do so much more. I could be a teacher and then maybe a writer, personally I thought my story with the Cullens would be amazing but who would believe it, or maybe a play write. I could even be an architect or any other thing I might choose. There were endless possibilities.

We packed up both Edward's car and the van after we left the mall and got back to the hotel. I did learn that Jasper and Emmett had indeed bought the van claiming that it might come in handy in the future. Between the shopping trips and cars I was beginning to wonder just how much money they had. You would think with forever to plan for they would learn to economize. After all eternity is a long time without any savings in the bank and Carlisle couldn't be making that much working at a hospital in Forks. When I mentioned this they all laughed and Emmett tousled my hair.

"I swear Bella you are so cute." He laughed grabbing me into another of his patented bear hugs and swinging me around. "I love my new baby sister."

I just laughed with him figuring if they weren't worrying about it then I wouldn't either. But things would have to be different for Edward and I. If he wasn't me for eternity then he was going to have to learn to cut some corners.

"Are you ready love?" Edward came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Night had fallen and everyone was heading to the cars.

I leaned into him enjoying the feel of his arms around me. Was I ready to bid this place goodbye not knowing if I would ever see my mother again? I wasn't sure but I was sure that I was ready to start my life with Edward. I nodded and he let go to take my hand and lead me out to the car.

As I got in I saw that Alice was in the back seat again playing on her phone. It was nice to see that she and Edward were over their fighting and that some things would never change. "Hey you two we aren't that far from New Orleans and we could hang out in the French quarter. I'd bet Bella has never been to Louisiana." She winked at me and tapped her head. I laughed as Edward got in and shook his head at Alice.

"Don't you think we've been gone long enough?" He asked.

"But there's so much more to see." She pouted. "There's the Alamo and Roswell. We aren't the only myths around you know."

"You mean Aliens aren't real?" I asked pretending to be shocked. "And after meeting vampires I was sure all the myths and legends were true. What next? Are you going to tell me there are no werewolves?"

I laughed but Edward and Alice both turned to me and I could swear that if they could would be throwing up right now. "Wait" I breathed in. "Are there werewolves?" My eyes widened.

Alice spoke because Edward seemed to unable to catch a breath. "That is a story for another day." She went back to looking through her phone. "What about Vegas?" She was working hard to change the subject. "You know how much Emmett and Jasper love Blackjack. Maybe even a quickie wedding." She raised her eyebrows at me. "Give the folks in Forks something to really talk about." I started choking and she doubled over laughing while Edward rubbed my back to get me to relax.

"Way to go Alice." He hissed.

"I'm sorry" She sobered. "I was just trying to show Bella that I could joke too."

"Right" He didn't sound appeased.

"It's okay." I patted his hand to let him know that I was alright. "She just took me by surprise."

"Sorry" She apologized again smiling at me before turning her attention back to Edward. "So Vegas?"

"No Alice" He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why not?"

"Because we have been away far too long and Bella needs to get back to school." He smiled at her. "This is her first time through unlike you and she needs to get as much from it as possible."

"Oh please" Alice scoffed. "The things she learns with us will serve her way better than anything she will ever learn in school. Not to mention that this may be her first time though but it won't be her last so if she misses something this time she can get in the future. So I say Vegas." She crossed her tiny arms and pouted.

"Sorry Alice." Edward wasn't swayed. "I'm taking Bella back to Forks." He took my hand in his and smiled at me. "But don't worry, as you just pointed out we have time." With that he kissed my hand and started the car pulling out and on to the highway.

We did have time. I smiled watching the world fly past me quicker than it should have. We were headed back and although I still had many more goodbyes to share and the rest of his family to met I knew Edward would be right beside me. I also knew that I might never be ready to leave behind my family and my human life but to spend eternity with my new family, with Edward? I was ready; I was more than ready.

**AN: This is it for Kidnapped basically. There is still a small epolgue to come either later this week or early next week just to wrap things up. I hope you like the ending. I thought that I would go for something a little lighter to get back to the beginning of our story before all the angst. Plus with Emmett and Alice you have to have some comedy.**

**Speaking of I am entering a contest. It's my first one so be on the lookout for that soon. Next since this story is done I am thinking of taking a slight break from writing. I have a few too many story ideas and I can't seem to focus them or figure out how to start them. So I decided to do something a little different. To find out what then you must visit my blog http:// mztspot (dot) blogspot (dot) com. Plus I will have all my update there so you will know when I am making my comeback (it probably will be soon as I can't seem to stay away).**

**Alright so with that said, I again hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I have writing it and I look forward to your reviews. Talk to everyone soon.**


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